Meant To Be
by clslovegood47
Summary: One night during patrol, Chat finds a piano in the park, and he plays a song that he wrote for Ladybug. After hearing his composition, Ladybug realizes that she's had feelings for her partner all along.
1. Concert

Hello, lovely readers! I decided to write a chaptered fic for ML Lovesquare Fluff Week this year. The day one prompt is "Concert".

Enjoy!

Come visit me on Tumblr! (I'm gryffindorcls over there.)

I own nothing but the plot.

* * *

"What's that bright light coming from the park?" Chat Noir asked, perching himself on the edge of the roof and observed the scene below, "I know there are street lights down there, but they're not usually _that_ bright."

Ladybug moved next to him. "Well, I did see some workers setting up for a wedding earlier today."

"A wedding? How do you know?"

"My fam…uh," she cleared her throat, "I mean, my favorite bakery is catering the event this weekend."

"Oh."

"But the workers finished hours ago, and I don't see any people down there right now. I know that they put one of those temporary chain-link fences around the venue, but we should probably go check it out anyway. I doubt it's an Akuma, but maybe they accidentally left something running?"

"Sounds good, my lady. Lead the way."

The duo leaped off of the rooftop and landed gracefully inside the fenced-off area. Ladybug dove behind a bush and gestured for him to come. Chat quickly joined her behind the foliage and peered over the leaves. After a few minutes of observation, they both came to the conclusion that they were alone in the park.

"I think everything is safe, my lady," he declared, "We should get going. I know you're probably itching to get our patrol started."

"Wow." To his surprise, Ladybug ignored his statement, grabbed his hand, and pulled him into the decorated space. "They did an amazing job. It's so beautiful."

Everything within the boundaries of the fence was tastefully adorned with an explosion of pink and white. Chairs made of slatted wood-lined both sides of a shimmery aisle runner while large pots containing rose bushes in full bloom were scattered throughout the grounds.

A white gazebo that had been fashioned into an altar was the source of the park's illumination. Light poured through translucent white curtains that swayed gently in the breeze. A cascading garland of pink and white roses adorned the entranceway.

"It's like walking through a dream," Ladybug whispered, reaching out to touch the delicate petals on the make-shift archway.

Chat stood next to her under the flowered veil. "Do you like roses?"

She nodded. "Yeah, the pink ones are my favorite."

"I'll make sure to remember that."

"Thinking of getting me flowers?"

"_Purr-haps_."

Ladybug flicked his bell. "I thought this little kitty was smitten with someone else. At least that's what he told me that last time I checked."

He turned his head away. "Um...no. Things didn't exactly work out with her. We were...um...too alike."

"I'm sorry to hear that, _Chaton_."

"Thank you, my lady."

A dull ache resonated throughout his body. Every fiber of his being yearned to be with Ladybug. A lot had changed between them, but she was still his everything. Several months ago, he'd tried so hard to move on from his crush on her, but looking for love somewhere else only made him realize that he'd never stop being in love with her.

After Ladybug became the Guardian, Chat began to spend time with his partner after patrols. He knew that she needed his unwavering support, and he was more than willing to provide it.

At first, their conversations centered around plans to find and defeat Hawkmoth, but they eventually started talking to each other about their everyday lives. Without revealing their identities, they got to know each other on a more personal level.

Soon, Ladybug was no longer just the beautiful enigma who'd stolen his heart. He'd come to discover that beneath her serious exterior was an ordinary girl who led an extraordinary life. She had hopes and dreams like everyone else. She wasn't perfect, but she was real. Chat always knew that his lady was brave, creative, and intelligent, but he was pleasantly surprised to learn that she was also quirky, kind, and selfless. While he still didn't know her name, it was almost as if she was someone he knew in his civilian life.

It didn't take long for them to become each other's best friends. Once this happened, he knew things would never work out with Kagami. His heart would forever belong to his lady, and loving anyone other than his partner proved to be an impossible task.

So, with a heavy heart, he told Kagami that he was in love with another girl. Initially, she'd been upset, but they eventually came to a mutual understanding. In the end, he was happy that he and Kagami were able to remain friends.

Chat didn't tell Ladybug about the overwhelming love he still felt for her because he was afraid that she didn't want to know about it. His lady had mentioned going on a few dates with someone, but she said that she decided to stay friends with the mystery boy. He knew that she wasn't dating anyone at the moment, but he'd become terrified of rejection. His heart wasn't ready to hurt again.

Being in Ladybug's presence made him feel broken and whole at the same time. However, after seeing the wonderment in her expression tonight, he was on the verge of shattering into a million pieces. As he continued to watch her gush over the decorations, a surge of emotion pressed against the fissures in his soul.

When tears started to brim in the corners of his eyes, he turned his head away from his lady and did his best to focus on something else. His gaze eventually landed on a white baby grand piano in the middle of the gazebo.

He sniffled, hastily wiped the wetness from his cheeks, and took a seat on the bench. After lifting the lid, he gently ran his fingers across the keys. He took a deep breath and began to play.

At first, the notes came slowly. As he continued to play, his song started to evolve into a tune that reflected his deepest desires. It was the song that his soul sang every day. He closed his eyes and escaped into the music.

Her voice cut into his reverie and pulled him back to earth. "That's beautiful, _Chaton_."

"Thank you, my lady." His fingers still danced across the keys while he spoke.

"I've never heard that song before. Is it from something?"

"I wrote it. The melody took over every thought and wrote itself on my heart."

"It's incredible." She walked over and sat down next to him. "What inspired you to write it?"

Chat's fingers went still. "You were my inspiration."

He heard her breath hitch. "What?"

"I wrote it for you." He met her gaze.

"Please don't stop." Ladybug's voice was barely a whisper.

"Anything for you, my lady." Chat looked back down at the keys and started again from the beginning.

He once again lost himself in the melody. Every passing note screamed a hidden declaration of love. As if it was the last thing he'd ever do, he poured every ounce of himself into his playing. He couldn't find the courage to voice the "I love you" that pounded against his chest, so his song spoke for him instead. Tonight, the piano sang the song of his soul, and he really hoped that his lady was listening.

When the song ended, he became painfully aware of Ladybug's presence. Chat turned his head only to find his lady looking at her lap. Her bangs obscured her face, making it impossible for him to gauge her reaction.

"Thank you for playing that for me, Chat," she said softly, "I have to go home now, but I'll see you soon."

He reached out as she got up and walked away from the piano. "Wait! We didn't finish our patrol."

"It's a school night, and I have to finish some homework before tomorrow. Paris will be okay for tonight."

He felt his entire body droop. "You hated it."

Within seconds, her hands slipped into his own and she pulled him to his feet. "Oh, no, _Chaton_. That's not it at all. I loved it. I loved it with all my heart."

"Then why are you leaving?"

"The schoolwork thing isn't a lie. I really do need to finish my Physics homework; however, I have a feeling that it's going to take a little longer tonight because I suddenly have a lot on my mind."

"But what does…"

Before he could finish his question, Ladybug slipped away and stood in the gazebo's entranceway.

"I'll see you soon, kitty." She gave him a little wave and swung off into the night.

Chat felt the beginnings of a smile tug at the corners of his mouth. "Goodnight, my lady."

* * *

Marinette sighed and stared at the ceiling. She'd been in bed for six hours, and, to her utter despair, she was still awake. Nothing felt right. Nothing felt comfortable. Her usually soft bed had betrayed her.

With a huff, she sat up, fluffed her pillow, and flopped back down onto the bed. She then scooped up one of her throw pillows and screamed into it.

"What's wrong, Marinette?" Tikki mumbled groggily from her nest of blankets.

"Why is it always the blond ones?" She turned onto her back and stared at the ceiling. "Why couldn't I have just fallen for the cute one with the black and blue hair! It would have been so much easier!"

"Sorry. I'm not quite following you."

"Do you remember when Luka played me that song when I was trying to get over my crush on Adrien?"

"Yes."

"Well, when he played that song, it felt like the giant gaping hole in my chest had been refilled. It wasn't the same, but I felt whole again. It would have been easy to fall in love with him."

"Okay, but what does that have to do with blond boys?"

Marinette squeezed the throw pillow against her chest. "When Chat played me that song tonight, it made me feel more than just whole. I felt complete. Like I gained something that I didn't have before...something I didn't even know that I needed. Does that make sense?"

Tikki giggled. "That makes all the sense in the world!"

"What do you mean?"

"I want you to think for a moment, Marinette. How do you really feel about Chat Noir?"

"He's my best friend. My partner. We've never been closer, and I trust him with my life."

"No, _really think_. How do you _feel_ about Chat?"

Marinette laid her head on her pillow, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. She let her consciousness wander back to the park and the glowing lights of the gazebo. Chat's melody rang through her mind like the gentlest lullaby. It quieted her thoughts and soothed her soul.

Moments before falling asleep, everything suddenly made sense.

"I love him, Tikki," she whispered before drifting into a blissful slumber.

That night, Marinette dreamt of spots, flashes of black, and soaring over the rooftops of Paris. It was as if her mind was finally catching up to her heart.

She awoke the next morning with cheeks that were sore from smiling. It'd been so long since she'd felt this way. The heartbreak of walking away from Adrien had crushed her, but for the first time in months, she was walking on air.

Even though she'd only gotten two hours of sleep, she felt wonderful. Her brain was a little fuzzy, but she decided that it was okay. Marinette knew she would spend the whole day dreaming about the next time she would see Chat.

She hummed while she got ready, and she kept humming while she walked to school. When Marinette took her seat, she continued to hum. After taking out her textbook, she rested her head in her arms and stared wistfully into the distance. Her entire world was a blissful blur.

"Girl!" A foreign entity screamed. "ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME?"

Marinette blinked twice and looked up. Alya stood before her with her arms crossed over her chest and a smug grin painted on her lips.

"Yeah, what's up?" Marinette did her best to focus on her best friend.

"Where is your head today? I've been calling your name for a full minute. You didn't even move when I poked you."

"I...uhh…" She sighed. "Sorry, Alya. I didn't get much sleep last night. I think my brain is still dreaming."

Alya laughed. "Girl, you are a mess!"

"I know."

"It's okay. I'll let you copy my notes if you fall asleep in class."

"Thank you so much! You are a lifesaver!"

"I know. But if I do this for you, then you'll have to tell me the real reason behind that lovesick grin on your face." Alya nudged her arm.

Marinette began to panic. "W-what do you mean? _My face is perfectly normal, thank you very much_!"

"Mmmmhmmm. Don't lie to me. I haven't seen an expression like that on you in months. Spill. Who's the guy? Did you finally say yes to Luka?"

"No."

Alya leaned in and dropped her voice to a whisper. "It's not Adrien, is it? I heard he's not dating Kagami anymore."

"NO!" Marinette shouted before clearing her throat and adjusting her volume, "No, it's...wait, when did he break up with Kagami?"

"A few weeks ago. Nino told me."

"Oh, wow, but um...no. It's not Adrien." A pang shot through her heart, and she quickly brushed away the sensation. "You don't know him."

Alya squinted. "You're lying."

"No, I'm not!"

"Fine, keep your secrets. But you will owe me a whole box of pastries when you finally start dating Adrien. I'm telling you, girl, you and he are meant to be! It's like the whole universe is working to get you two together."

"Alya, it's not like that. Adrien and I are just friends."

"Sure! Go ahead, and keep telling yourself that. Just know that I'd like a mix of eclairs and chocolate croissants."

"Hey, babe," Nino called from across the room, causing both girls to whip their heads towards the door, "What's up? You two look like you're having a pretty deep convo."

Alya looked back at her. "Marinette was just telling me about someone who caught her eye."

"I was not," she responded through gritted teeth.

Adrien walked into the room and took his seat. "Good morning! How is everyone today?"

"We're all doing great," Alya beamed, "Thanks for asking. How's your day going, sunshine?"

"I'm...um...okay." He took a deep breath. "I have a lot on my mind today."

Before Marinette could react to his statement, Miss Bustier sauntered into the room. "Good morning, class. Let's get started right away. Please open your books to page three-hundred and ninety-four."

Marinette's eyes may have stayed open during the lesson, but her consciousness was somewhere else. By the time class had ended, Chat's melody had once again surfaced in her mind. Even though she couldn't hear the notes with her ears, she allowed herself to become lost in her memory of them.

Eventually, she began to hum.

A gentle hand touched her forearm and snapped her back into reality. Within seconds, she became painfully aware of two shining green eyes looking into her own. Marinette could have sworn that there was admiration behind Adrien's softened gaze. It was the kind of look that she had only dreamed of seeing him cast in her direction.

She found it strange how the love she felt for Chat seamlessly transitioned into a resurgence of feelings for her former crush; nonetheless, she allowed herself to revel in his closeness. In doing so, she was transported to a place she never thought she'd have the chance to revisit. Yet, here was the boy of her dreams, looking at her like she was the center of his universe.

It felt familiar.

It felt safe.

It felt right.

"Adrien," she said breathlessly.

He swallowed before speaking. "Where did you hear that song?"

Marinette's heart pounded against her chest as she struggled to find an answer.


	2. Trust

Hello, lovely readers! Welcome back! The day two prompt is "Trust".

Enjoy!

* * *

When Adrien awoke that morning, he wasn't sure how to feel. He was both restless and content at the same time. The reaction he'd received from his lady the night before filled his heart with warmth and hope, but he was still afraid to tell her the truth about his feelings. Nonetheless, he was excited to see her again.

Just like the day he'd fallen in love with her, everything reminded him of Ladybug. He saw her in the vibrant colors of the sunrise. He felt her in the warmth of the early morning sun. He heard her in the joyous laughter of children making their way to school. She was all around him.

That morning, he did his best to concentrate on Miss Bustier's lesson, but his mind was in the gazebo at the park.

The song he'd written for his partner repeated on an endless loop in his brain. His fingers itched to play it for her again. There was more to his composition, and he wanted nothing more than to share it with Ladybug.

He became so consumed by his thoughts that he began to hear his song being sung by a soft, clear voice.

"_That's my lady's voice_." Adrien's mind buzzed with excitement. "_If only she was actually here. Maybe I'll hear her singing it for real one day._"

He closed his eyes and thanked his brain for allowing him to hear Ladybug sing his song. He became lost in the vivid daydream as he rested his chin on his hand and sighed.

A nudge to the arm snapped him back into reality.

"Dude," Nino whispered, "What's with you today? You alright?"

Adrien nodded. "Yeah, I'm just a little tired."

"What were you and Marinette doing last night that got both of you so out of it? You two weren't together, were you?"

"Marinette?"

"She's been half asleep since she walked in this morning. You didn't notice?"

"No, I didn't." Adrien turned his head to see Marinette draped over her table, humming softly.

His brain came to a screeching halt.

That was his song.

She was humming _his song_.

_Marinette_ was humming the song that he wrote for _Ladybug_.

"Why are you looking at her like that, bro?" Nino muttered without moving his lips, "It's weird. Someone is going to notice."

"Someone already has," Alya said quietly with a grin, "So there _is_ something going on between you and Marinette! I knew you two would figure things out eventually."

Adrien squinted at her. "What are you talking about?"

"Nino, Adrien, and Alya," Miss Bustier called out, "There are still five minutes left of this class. Please be quiet and respectful."

"Sorry, Miss Bustier," they said in unison.

Adrien's heart pounded against his chest. His thoughts raced as his mind desperately searched for the answer to an unknown puzzle.

"_The only person I played that song for is Ladybug. Marinette couldn't possibly know it._"

The last few minutes of class crawled by slowly. Adrien's leg shook under the table while anticipation built up in his gut. When Miss Bustier finally dismissed the class, he whipped around in his seat and gently grabbed Marinette's arm.

When their eyes met, the rest of the world melted away. For a fleeting moment, they existed in their own bubble.

And then she said his name. "Adrien."

He swallowed against a dry throat. "Where did you hear that song?"

Marinette opened and closed her mouth several times. "I..uhh...what?"

Adrien's heart was ready to burst at any second. Knowing the answer to his question felt like a matter of life and death.

He took a deep breath and repeated himself. "Where did you hear that song?"

She looked away. "I...um...I heard it last night."

"Where did you hear it?"

"Someone was playing a piano in the park next to my house."

He didn't know why, but her response disappointed him. "_Of course. She lives next to the park...that makes sense._"

He sighed. "Okay...um...do you know who was playing the piano?"

"No." Marinette shook her head.

"Oh."

"But I wish I did."

His heart thumped again. "Oh?"

She closed her eyes. "Yeah, it was so beautiful. It sounded like whoever was playing that piano had a pretty strong connection to the song."

Marinette looked up and smiled. Her eyes sparkled in the sunlight that poured through the classroom windows, causing a familiar ache to fill his chest.

Adrien quickly became lost in her essence. Without thinking, he lifted his hand and ran his fingers down her cheek. He felt her shiver under his touch, and all the air rushed out of his lungs. Everything about this moment felt right, but a fogginess in his mind prohibited him from knowing why.

His hand remained on her cheek, and she leaned into his touch. "Have your eyes always been that blue?"

Marinette's face turned bright red. "I...I...uh…"

"What's going on here?" Alya's voice pierced a hole through their bubble, forcing both him and Marinette to break apart.

Nino looked at his girlfriend. "It kind of looked like they were having a moment."

"It's nothing," Marinette mumbled, her eyes glued to the floor.

Alya laughed. "That sure didn't look like _nothing_."

"I have to go." Without taking the time to put anything into her backpack, Marinette scooped all her belongings into her arms and rushed out of the classroom.

"Wait!" Adrien hopped out of his seat only to feel someone's hand grab his wrist.

He turned to see Alya looking at him with a stoic expression. "We need to talk."

"But I need to go and find Marinette. She looked upset."

"No, I'm serious. Before you see her again, we _really_ need to talk."

Nino nodded. "She's right, dude. It's important."

Adrien's eyes darted between his friends. "Aright, I'm listening."

"Are you in love with Marinette?" Alya asked, letting go of his wrist.

He scratched the back of his neck and released a nervous chuckle. "We're just friends."

"That's not what I asked, so I'll say it again. Are you in love with my best friend?"

"Why are you asking me that?"

"I'm really going to need you to answer the question because I've seen Marinette cry far too many times over the past few months, and she deserves the best."

"Why was she crying? Is she okay?"

"Are you in love with her?"

Adrien was at a loss for words. "I...uh…"

She crossed her arms. "You already broke her heart once, Agreste. It wasn't your fault last time, but I'd really like it if you didn't do it again."

"What are you talking about? How did I break her heart?"

"You broke her heart by not noticing what was right in front of you the entire time. You broke her heart by not seeing her."

Adrien closed his eyes and tried to process Alya's words. "Are you telling me that Marinette had a crush on me?"

Alya sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I never blamed you because you have every right to make your own decisions when it comes to who you want to date. You chose Kagami, and Marinette respected that. We all did. All she ever wanted was for you to be happy. However, if you're going to walk around pulling stunts like that and claim that you're not in love with her, then we're going to have a problem. Do I make myself clear?"

"I...uh...yes?"

"Good. I don't think I can handle seeing her that sad again. If you love her, just tell her. If you don't, please don't make her think that you do."

Adrien wanted to cry. "I never meant to hurt her. I promise! I really care about her. I'm sorry."

Alya's expression softened. "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped like that. The past few months have just been really hard, and she's come such a long way. Haven't you noticed that she doesn't stutter around you anymore?"

"Yeah."

"Well, that's because she moved on so you could be happy with Kagami. But if you've finally realized that you've had feelings for her all along, that's wonderful. I just want you to be honest with her. She's suffered enough already."

"That makes sense."

"You know you're my friend too, right? I want to see you happy, as well. I think being honest about your feelings will make things better for both of you."

Adrien nodded. "I think you're right."

She chuckled. "Oh, sunshine, I know I'm right. I have to go now, but I'll see you after lunch."

Alya picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder. She made her way towards the classroom door, Nino followed suit.

"Wait!" Adrien called out, desperate for answers.

Alya stopped in her tracks and turned around. "Yes?"

"Marinette is dating Luka."

"No, they went on dates, but she turned him down when he asked her to be his girlfriend. She told me that even though he's nice, being with him didn't feel right."

"But you said she moved on. Or does she still have feelings for me?"

"It broke her when you started dating Kagami; however, between you and me, I don't think she ever stopped loving you."

"Thanks, Alya." Adrien stood up, grabbed his belongings, and walked towards the door. "You've given me a lot to think about."

"Of course. Just...do me one favor. Please don't wait forever to figure it out." With a smile, she turned on her heel and walked down the stairs into the courtyard.

Nino patted his shoulder. "She's right, you know."

"Yeah, but I really don't know what to think about all this right now." Adrien ran his fingers through his hair. "I can't believe Marinette had a crush on me. She always told me that she only thought of me as a friend."

"I gotta be honest, it was more than just a crush. She was head over heels in love with you. I know she tried to tell you hundreds of times, and she wasn't exactly subtle about it."

"I feel terrible. I had no idea. And then today...I don't even know what happened. It was like everything made sense for a second, and then it got all foggy again."

"You straight-up touched Marinette's face and asked her about her eyes. And the way she looked at you...wow. I think she fell in love with you all over again. It was like watching Cinderella or something."

"It kind of felt like we were in a fairytale if I'm being honest."

"You had a magical moment, my dude."

Adrien laughed. "I really wouldn't be surprised if there was magic involved somehow."

Nino crossed his arms. "What are you going to do about it then?"

"I don't know." He bit his lip. "I'm really conflicted right now. Do you remember that girl I was in love with before I started dating Kagami?"

"Dude, no." Nino shook his head. "The girl who rejected you like a hundred times?"

"Yeah, I may or may not have recently realized that I was still in love with her. That's why I broke up with Kagami."

"If you're not actually in love with Marinette, you gotta be more careful, bro."

Adrien buried his face in his hands. "I know! I feel so stupid now. I've always felt like Marinette was more than just a friend, and when our eyes met today...I don't know. Something just clicked, and I don't know why."

"So, does that mean you _are _in love with Marinette?"

"Nino, how can I be in love with two people? What am I supposed to do? I'm a horrible human being!"

"No, you are not. You are a teenager who is confused about love. You are no different than the rest of us. Go home, eat lunch, and relax. Spend some time thinking about everything."

"Yeah, okay. I'm guessing you need to go catch up to Alya, and my bodyguard is going to start texting me any second now. I'll see you later."

"Good luck, bro!" Nino started walking down the stairs. "I'll see you after lunch!"

Adrien waved. "Bye."

He took a moment to compose himself before making his way to the car. Once he hopped into the back of his family's vehicle, Adrien's mind began to race.

"_What am I supposed to do now_?"

* * *

The second her trapdoor closed behind her, Marinette collapsed into a heap on the floor.

"Tikki!" she called out, "What am I supposed to do now?"

The tiny red being flitted over and nuzzled her cheek. "Oh, Marinette. I'm sorry."

"I was so sure about Chat last night, and then Adrien started looking at me like that today. All of those feelings for him came rushing back." She sat up and looked at her Kwami. "HE TOUCHED MY FACE, TIKKI!"

"I know."

"What does that even mean?"

"I think he likes you."

"But that doesn't help! How am I supposed to ignore my feelings for him if he reciprocates? And what about Chat? How can I be in love with two people?"

Tikki floated in front of Marinette's face. "It may not make any sense right now, but I promise that everything will be okay soon."

Marinette slumped. "How do you know that?"

"Life has a funny way of working itself out. You'll see. Just give it time."

"But what am I supposed to do about loving two different people? This is why I didn't let myself fall for Chat when I was still actively in love with Adrien. It doesn't feel good, and I don't know what to do."

"Trust your heart, Marinette. It will show you the way."

"Okay...I'll try." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

Marinette sat quietly for a few minutes and thought about everything that had happened over the past twenty-four hours. Each passing thought brought her to new levels of confusion. She found it strange how even though Chat and Adrien were two different people, loving them felt the same. Everything about both boys felt so familiar, and she couldn't figure out why.

A loud grumble from her stomach interrupted her thoughts.

Tikki giggled. "Are you sure you were talking to your heart just now? If you were, I'm not sure that it's supposed to sound like that when it answers."

"I think I'm hungry," Marinette laughed, "I did skip breakfast today."

"Then maybe you should go downstairs and get some lunch. I'm sure your parents would love to spend some time with you."

Marinette nodded, went downstairs, and walked into the kitchen. She was greeted by a wonderful smell and her mother's smile.

"Hello, sweetheart!" Sabine greeted cheerfully, "I didn't even hear you come in. How was your morning?"

She looked away. "Uhhh...it was…"

"Sabine, is our daughter home yet?" Tom's voice boomed, cutting off Marinette's response.

"Yes, I am, papa," Marinette replied.

"Oh, thank goodness! Could I ask you to do me a favor once you're done eating lunch?"

"Of course! What do you need me to do?"

"I need to know what kind of tablecloths to bring with me to tomorrow's wedding in the park. Could you measure the tables for me? I have a tape measure that you can use."

"Sure thing, papa, but there's a fence around the venue. I'm not sure if I'll be able to get in."

Tom leaned in and whispered in her ear. "It's okay. I have a key, but shhh. Don't tell anyone."

Marinette laughed. "Your secret is safe with me."

After sitting down for lunch with her parents, Marinette retrieved the key and the tape measure from her father. While making her way over to the park, she swore she could hear Chat's melody being carried by the wind. A surge of emotion swelled in her gut.

"_Trust your heart, Marinette. Listen to what it has to say. Maybe it's telling you to follow the music_."

As she walked across the park, the music grew louder, and when she reached the entrance, she found that the gate had already been unlocked.


	3. Flowers

Hello, lovely readers! Welcome back! The day three prompt is "Flowers".

Enjoy!

* * *

Adrien ran out of the car, into the mansion, and up to his room. He slammed the door behind him and sank to the floor.

Visions of two raven-haired girls swirled around his head. He had difficulty distinguishing one face from the other. It was almost as if they were the same person, and his futile attempts to separate the two personalities were starting to give him a headache.

There were too many thoughts running through his mind, and he was finding it hard to focus. "_Ladybug loves me, but I love Marinette. No...that's not right. Marinette loves me, but I love Ladybug. But I also love Marinette. Is it love? It must be...it feels the same. At least it does now. But it didn't yesterday...or did it? No, that was Ladybug, not Marinette. Why do they have the same eyes?_"

Adrien was ready to scream.

An outside force gently tugged his hair, causing him to look up. Adrien locked eyes with his concerned-looking Kwami.

"Hey, kid," the tiny being said softly, "You okay?"

"Plagg, I need to get out of here," Adrien groaned, "I feel like I'm suffocating."

"Well, luckily for you, you have a magical ring that grants you the ability to leave this room whenever you want."

"Where would I even go?"

"Where do you want to be right now?"

"With her."

Adrien didn't even know which "her" he was referring to. Nothing made sense anymore.

Plagg landed on his shoulder. "Since that's not exactly possible at the moment, what's the next best thing?"

"You're being unusually nice today." Adrien squinted. "What's in it for you?"

"I'd really like it if you didn't get Akumatized."

Adrien reached out and scratched his Kwami on the head. "Aww, you do care."

"I never said that I didn't. Besides, who would give me cheese if you started destroying Paris?"

"And there it is."

Plagg threw his arms into the air. "Cheese is important."

"To you maybe," Adrien laughed, "But seriously, thanks for the offer."

"If you want to transform, all you have to do is say the words. You know that."

"Actually, I kind of don't want to be alone right now. It'd be nice to have someone to talk to while I was walking."

Plagg poked him on the chest. "While I would love to not have to work right now, how do you plan on getting out of here?"

"You know I used to sneak out before I became Chat Noir, right?" Adrien crossed his arms. "It wasn't very often, but there were a few times when I managed to escape. When mom disappeared, father hired my bodyguard. After that, it got a whole lot harder to get out, so I stopped...until I tried to go to school for the first time."

"How did you even manage to get out? Your bedroom is on the second floor, and there are cameras everywhere else."

"There's a bathroom on the bottom floor that has a window with a broken latch. My mom's garden is on the other side, and my dad didn't install cameras over there."

"Okay, that's great and all, but isn't there a giant wall surrounding your property? What are you going to do, climb over it?"

"When I was little, I used to go exploring in the gardens, and one day I found a grate with some loose bars hidden behind a bush. It'll be a tight squeeze, but I think I can still fit through it."

Plagg nodded. "Sounds like you have this all planned out."

"Yup," Adrien replied, grabbing a wedge of cheese from Plagg's stash. "Eat up. I don't want you complaining that you're hungry while we're out."

The Kwami shoved the cheese into his mouth and swallowed. "Does that mean that we're not going to get more food while we're out?"

He sighed. "Fine, we'll get more food. Are you finished yet?"

"I finished ten whole seconds ago. I'm the one waiting for you," Plagg replied snarkily.

Adrien grabbed his messenger bag and unzipped the top, allowing Plagg to fly inside. "Come on. Let's get going before I have to come back. My lunch break only lasts so long."

After creeping out of his room, Adrien quietly descended the stairs and walked down the hall. He slipped into a small bathroom, climbed out of the window, and dropped to the ground below. After looking both ways, he sprinted across the garden and dove into the bushes that hugged the wall. He crawled over to the grate, removed several bars, and squeezed through. He brushed off his clothing when he was finally on the other side.

"It would have been easier if you had escaped as Chat Noir, you know. You could already be at the park by now," Plagg grumbled from inside the messenger bag.

Adrien knelt down and replaced the bars on the grate. "Yeah, but coming out here as Chat would have drawn too much attention."

"Oh, right, that makes sense. Because the supermodel Adrien Agreste doesn't ever get recognized when he's out in public. It's not like you're famous or anything."

"While that's true, I have a plan that will keep me from being bombarded by fans."

"And what's this brilliant plan of yours? Tell me it's better than climbing out a bathroom window and crawling through a dirty grate."

Adrien reached inside the bag and pulled out a black sweatshirt. "This is my plan."

"A hoodie. Really?" Plagg deadpanned.

"It's foolproof." He pulled on the sweatshirt and put up the hood. "See?"

"Whatever, kid. Let's just get going. The sooner we get to the park, the sooner we can go get a snack."

Adrien shook his head and zipped the top of his bag. "You and your stomach."

Plagg phased through the bag and flew into the pocket on the front of Adrien's sweatshirt. "I did not come all this way just to be stuck inside a closed bag, thank you very much."

"Come on. I only have an hour and a half left," he said with a smile tugging at his lips.

He crossed the street and walked along the edge of the park. When he reached the entrance, he looked up at the Dupain-Cheng's bakery. Once again, his heart began to ache, but he still didn't know which girl was the source of his distress.

Remembering that his time was limited, he took a deep breath, turned on his heel, and walked into the park. When he arrived at the venue, he stood in front of the locked gate and sighed.

"Aren't you going in?" Plagg whispered from inside his pocket.

Adrien groaned. "I can't. It's locked."

"That wouldn't have been a problem if you were Chat Noir. You could have jumped over the fence."

"Whatever. This was a stupid idea anyway. Let's just go get you something to eat."

"Oh, no! I did not get dragged out here just to watch you walk home and sulk. Nope. Not today!" Plagg flew out of the pocket and through the lock, causing the gate to creak open.

Adrien took a step back. "I can't just walk in."

"That didn't stop you last night. Besides, it's not like anyone is going to find out. There's no one else here, and I know you won't mess anything up. Just go in, kid."

"Yeah, okay." He stepped into the venue. "I can do this."

He cautiously made his way to the gazebo and sat down at the piano. Adrien ran his fingers along the keys and closed his eyes. Then, just like the night before, he began to play. He quickly became lost in the music.

Memories of his lady danced through his mind. He thought of the way her smile could light up the darkest space. He thought about the way her laugh sounded like a symphony. He thought about how her eyes rivaled the color of the ocean.

Without warning, Adrien's mind removed Ladybug's mask, leaving Marinette in her stead. His hands slammed against the piano in frustration.

"_Why do I keep thinking about Marinette when I think about Ladybug? Do I love her more?_"

"What's wrong now?" Plagg grumbled.

Adrien huffed. "I keep thinking about Marinette."

"So?"

"I wrote this song for Ladybug, not Marinette. Why am I thinking about her while I'm playing it?"

"The heart wants what the heart wants, kid. Maybe you should listen to it instead of forcing it to want something that isn't right for it. I thought we've been through this before."

"But I think Ladybug is starting to like me back."

"Or you've become better friends."

"I wish I could spend time with Marinette like I do with Ladybug. That would make this easier."

"Then, why don't you just ask pigtails to spend some time with you?"

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"What if she says no?"

"You'll never know unless you try."

"I need a miracle, Plagg."

"Well, you're not going to get it from me."

"I'm done. Let's go." Adrien stood up and grabbed his bag.

Plagg tapped Adrien's stomach. "To get food, right?"

"Yes, to get food."

"Then why are we still standing here? Let's go!"

Adrien walked out of the gazebo and made his way towards the gate. The sound of footsteps caused him to freeze and duck behind a bush. When the footsteps stopped, he took a deep breath and poked his head above the leaves.

* * *

With the key in hand, Marinette stood unmoving in front of the unlocked gate.

"_Someone is playing the piano_," she thought, "_It wasn't my imagination. That person is playing Chat's song._"

Her heart began to race. "Tikki, I think Chat Noir is playing the piano in there."

The Kwami opened the clasp on Marinette's bag and peeked out. "How do you know?"

"That's the song he played for me last night. Chat wrote that song. I have to go get those measurements, but what if he's detransformed? Going in there would compromise our identities."

"You know, now that you're the Guardian, you have every right to…"

Tikki was cut off by a loud bang on the piano.

"What was that?" Marinette whispered loudly.

"I don't know."

"What should I do?"

"I'm going to leave that decision to you."

"What if something happened to him? What if he's hurt? Tikki, please forgive me for doing this, but I have to go and see if he's okay."

Marinette ran into the venue. When she reached the gazebo, she was horrified to find that no one was there.

She tugged on her pigtails and sat on the piano bench. "That music was real. I know it was. It had to be. He was here."

"Marinette?" a voice called, causing her to jump and scream.

She looked up and saw a familiar tuft of blond hair peeking out from beneath a black hood.

"_Chat_. _He's here._"

"I'm so sorry." Confusion flooded her brain when the boy removed his hood and revealed himself to be her classmate. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"Adrien?" She said, cocking her head to the side. "What are you doing here?"

He scratched the back of his neck. "Uhhh…"

"Oh, you heard the music, too, right?"

"Uhhh…"

"Of course you did! Yeah, when I got here the gate was unlocked. Is that how you got in?"

"Uhhh…."

"Duh! It's not like you could jump over the fence or something crazy like that. But then how did Cha...I mean..._that person_ get in?""

"Uhhh…"

"Oh, well! Did you by any chance see who was playing the piano?"

Adrien cleared his throat. "Um...no, I did not."

Marinette slumped. "Figures. It was beautiful. I wonder why that person stopped playing. They couldn't have known that I was on my way in."

"Are you okay? You were looking a little flustered even before I accidentally scared you."

"Oh, I heard the mystery pianist slam the keys, and I ran in here to make sure they were okay."

"Really?"

"Well, yeah. What if that person needed help?"

"That's very...Marinette of you." He sat down next to her on the piano bench. "I guess you're still our everyday Ladybug."

Her cheeks began to heat up. "I...um...thank you."

"Hey, Marinette. I wanted to ask you something."

"Oh, okay. What is it?"

"Well, I was...um…" He turned his head. "Uhhh...d-did you want to maybe hang out after school?"

Her heart pounded against her chest. "You want to hang out...with me?"

Adrien chuckled. "Uh, yeah."

"That sounds grood. I mean...uh…"

"Did you just smush together good and great?"

Marinette lowered her head and looked at her lap. "Yes, I'm hopeless."

He placed a finger on her chin and gently lifted her head. "No, you're not. I think you're pretty cute."

Her brain stopped working.

Adrien furrowed his brow. "Are you alright?"

"Yup!" She hopped off the piano bench and walked over to the roses lining the entranceway of the gazebo.

With her back turned to him, she took several calming breaths. When her heart rate finally slowed, she reached out and touched the petals on a rose that was in full bloom.

"Everything here is so beautiful," she said in an attempt to change the subject.

"Not as beautiful as you," he replied, causing her cheeks to burn once again.

She turned around. "What did you say?"

"I...uhh...I mean...do you like roses?"

"Yeah, the pink ones are my favorite."

"Did you just say that you like the pink ones?"

"Um...yes?"

"I'll make sure to remember that."

"What?"

Marinette's thoughts became a surreal blur. "_He even talks the same way as Chat. How did I not notice that before_?"

Adrien cleared his throat, breaking her out of her reverie. "How about we walk back to school together?"

She nodded. "Sure! I just need to measure the tables."

"Why?"

"Oh, my parents are catering the wedding tomorrow, and my dad needs measurements for the tablecloths."

"Wait. _Your family _is catering the wedding?"

"Yes, is that a problem?"

"No, your family makes the best bread in Paris. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that it's Ladybug's favorite bakery."

Panic began to bubble in Marinette's gut. "How could you possibly know something like that? She's never mentioned my family's bakery in any of her interviews."

He shrugged. "I...uhhh...heard it somewhere?"

"_It's getting awkward. Just change the subject_," her mind screamed.

"Anyway," she began, taking the tape measure out of her purse, "the tables?"

"Right! The tables!" He positioned himself next to her.

When he grabbed one end of the tape measure, their hands brushed together, causing her breath to hitch.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "_Deciding is going to be much harder than I thought_."


	4. Your Voice

Hello, lovely readers! Welcome back! The day four prompt is "Your Voice".

For this chapter, I collabed with runningash (on AO3). Her art is beautiful. (You can't put pics in fics on FFN, but you can find the art in the story on AO3). She is flashflashitsash on Tumblr and IG. Go check her out!

This chapter is a song fic. I used the song "Runnin' Home to You" from the musical episode of "The Flash".

* * *

With the tape measure in hand, Adrien stood at the other end of the table and kept his eyes glued on Marinette. His heart melted when he saw her stick out her tongue while trying to get an accurate measurement. After they finished, she smiled and bounced on the balls of her feet, causing Adrien to nearly combust.

While he watched her write down the measurements on a piece of paper, his mind began to wander. "_She's always been beautiful, but my lady is the only one who's ever made me feel this way. What changed? Why now?_"

"Adrien?" Marinette said, cutting through the haze in his brain, "Are you okay?"

He nodded. "Yeah, why?"

"You looked kind of out of it for a second there."

"Oh, I was just...thinking."

"Cool! I do that sometimes...ugh...wait, that was probably the dumbest thing I could have said." She shoved the paper with the measurements into her purse. "Please just ignore me."

"_She's adorable. Maybe Plagg is right. The heart wants what the heart wants_."

He took a step toward her. "I don't think I could if I tried. If anything, I think I'm finally seeing you for all that you are."

"_No! What are you doing, Adrien? What about Ladybug?_"

She squeaked. "Oh! I...um...d-do you see what you like? I mean...like what you see?"

"Marinette, I think I always have," he said without thinking.

"_Maybe my heart wants her_."

Marinette's face turned bright red, and her eyes grew wide. "School...us...go?

Adrien held out his arm for her to take. "Shall we?"

"Mmmhmm." She tentatively took his arm.

An explosion of warmth radiated throughout his body when she finally hugged his arm against her chest. For a brief and fleeting moment, all of the confusion from before melted away.

It felt familiar.

It felt safe.

It felt right.

Like the moment they'd shared in the classroom earlier that day, Adrien was struck by the strength of his feelings for Marinette. Just as he was about to let himself completely fall for her, visions of Ladybug flashed across his mind. His arms tensed involuntarily while he let out a frustrated huff.

"Is everything alright?" she asked quietly.

"Um, yeah." He scrambled to find an answer. "I...uhh...just remembered that I have to go home before I go back to the school."

"Oh, I can walk with you!"

"But you live right here. I don't want you to go out of your way."

"I don't mind. Honestly, before I met up with you, my plan was just to go back to my room and watch YouTube videos. It's a beautiful day, and I'd love the company."

Adrien's pulled his hood over his head. "You mean, you wouldn't mind walking with someone who has to hide their identity from nosy fans?"

She giggled and pulled the strings on his sweatshirt, cinching the hood around his face. "Nope. I wouldn't even mind if you were wearing a mask. I'd still hang out with you."

He loosened the hood and met her gaze. "Wait...really?"

"Of course. You're still you, no matter what you're wearing."

"Sounds like you have experience."

She turned her head and coughed. "Uhhh...no m-more than you!"

"_It's getting awkward_," his mind yelled, "_Change the subject!"_

He tapped his chin. "I wonder if Ladybug and Chat Noir act differently when they're civilians. Being able to hide your identity like that must give them the freedom to do things they can't usually do."

"_No, Adrien, what are you doing_?"

"Well," Marinette began, "everyone has a tendency to act differently when they're in different situations. It's probably the same for Ladybug and Chat Noir. For example, I can't imagine civilian Ladybug doing half the things she does when she's transformed."

"You just said that a person is still themselves no matter what they're wearing, so even if she's not swinging between buildings every second of the day, I'm sure she's still brave, selfless, and creative. I bet she's an everyday Ladybug...just like you."

Marinette took a sharp intake of breath. "We are going to run out of time if we don't get going."

Adrien pulled out his phone and looked at the screen. "Yikes, you're right. We only have an hour. Let's go."

As the duo made their way to the Agreste Mansion, they chatted about school, video games, and their hobbies. Even though Adrien did his best to stay away from topics that had to do with Ladybug and Chat Noir, he couldn't help but hear his lady in Marinette's voice. He found it amazing how both girls sounded so similar.

"_I must have a really specific type_," Adrien mused inside his head.

"Hey Marinette," he said, stopping at the wall behind his house, "why don't we talk more? I love hearing what you have to say."

She looked to the side and tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "Well, we usually don't get the chance to hang out alone with each other. Most of the time we're with Alya and Nino. And then you weren't there for a while because you were with…"

"Kagami?"

"Yeah. I heard about you two breaking up. I'm sorry things didn't work out."

"It's for the best. We were too alike."

She let go of his arm. "Oh?"

He took a step back. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes, sorry!" she said quickly, waving her hands in front of her, "It's just that a friend of mine said the same thing to me last night. You remind me a lot of him actually."

"That's interesting. You remind me of someone I know, too."

She smiled. "What a funny coincidence!"

He nodded. "I guess you and I just have certain qualities that we look for in friends."

"At least you don't pun as much as he does."

"I hate to tell you this, but I love puns."

"You do?" Marinette laughed. "Oh, no!"

He feigned mock hurt. "Excuse me, but I think you'll find that my jokes are quite _claw-some_. Why even the Queen of England liked my puns when I went to the royal wedding."

"You told puns to the Queen? Look, I'm not against puns, they're fine. My dad uses them, but my friend has terrible timing. I hope yours is better, Prince Charming."

"Oh, so, I'm a prince now?"

"Only a prince could tell puns to the Queen and live to tell the tale."

"And how would you know that? Are you a princess?"

"I'm not royalty."

"You could be."

"I'm just a baker's daughter. I'm not special."

Adrien leaned in. "Yes, you are. You're _purr-fect_."

Placing her index finger on the tip of his nose, she pushed him away. "I take back what I said before. You're not a prince. You're just a trusted knight who learned one too many jokes from the court jester."

He took her hands in his. "What if I was both?"

She let go of one of his hands and ran her thumb across his cheek. "That sure would make things easier."

He cleared his throat, let go of her other hand, and pointed to the grate on his wall. "Oh, um...we're here, by the way."

"Adrien, this is the back of your house."

"Yes, it is."

"Can you not walk in the front door?"

"No, I snuck out."

"Oh."

"But I'm going to go back in and try to convince Nathalie to let me walk with you to school. I think she'll say yes. Wait for me out front, and I'll text you if I get permission."

She shook her head and laughed. "I guess this is where I wish you good luck?"

Adrien patted his bag. "I still carry around my Marinette lucky charm wherever I go, so I have all the luck I need!"

"You do?"

"Of course, it's one of my most prized possessions."

"I still have yours. It's in a special place in my room."

Adrien felt Plagg poke his stomach from inside his sweatshirt. When he reached inside of his pocket to make him stop, his Kwami shoved his phone into his hand.

He pulled out the phone and looked at the time. "Yikes! We only have a half-hour left. I gotta get going. Hopefully, I'll see you in a few minutes."

"See you soon!" She waved and made her way down the sidewalk.

Once Marinette had turned the corner, Adrien knelt down, removed the bars from the grate, and shimmied through the small opening. He ran across the garden, climbed through the window, hopped into the bathroom, and snuck back to his room.

"I guess you're no longer in love with Ladybug." Plagg zipped out of the sweatshirt pocket.

Adrien sighed. "I don't know. Marinette and Ladybug are so alike. I have no idea how to choose, but at least I took your advice. She and I are going to hang out after school today."

"Good, but what about the food you promised me."

"Marinette's family owns a bakery. I'll buy you something there."

Adrien grabbed his books, shoved them into his bag, and made his way to Nathalie's desk.

"Yes, Adrien," the assistant said before he could announce his presence, "What do you need?"

He fiddled with the strap on his bag. "I was wondering if I could walk to school with my friend Marinette. It's such a nice day, and it's not that far."

"You know your father doesn't like it when you're not with your bodyguard."

"Please, Nathalie? She's waiting outside the front gate, and I don't want her to have to walk back on her own."

"Fine, but you two won't be walking. She will come with you in the car."

While it wasn't what he wanted, he knew arguing wouldn't help. "Okay."

She pushed up her glasses with her index finger. "Is there something else you need?"

"Could I hang out with Marinette after school? It's Friday, and I'm done with almost all my homework for the weekend."

"You have a photoshoot in the morning."

"I won't be out late. I promise."

Without responding, Nathalie stood up and walked into his father's office. When she returned, she sat down at her desk and started typing.

"You have until seven o'clock," she said without looking up from her computer.

A surge of excitement flooded his brain. "Thank you!"

He pulled out his phone, texted Marinette, and ran outside. When he got there, his bodyguard was opening the car door for his classmate. He quickly hopped into the other side of the vehicle.

"Sorry, we're not walking, but this was the best I could do," he said with a shrug.

She buckled her seatbelt. "Compromise isn't the worst thing in the world."

"You're right."

"Besides, we are running out of time. We only have twenty minutes of our lunch break left."

"We do? I was hoping to buy something from the bakery before we headed back to class."

"Did you not eat?"

"No, I didn't."

"I have to stop by my place anyway to grab my backpack and give my dad these measurements. Come in with me, and I'll have my mom give you something from the bakery."

"I have money."

She crossed her arms. "And it will be useless in our store. My parents are always forcing food on my friends, and my mom would be more than happy to give you something."

"Your parents are awesome," he said, feeling a pang of jealousy in his gut.

"They are. They're a little nosy, but they're great. My parents treat all my friends like family. You know you're welcome to come over whenever you want, right?"

"I am?"

"Yeah, I have friends over all the time."

"That would be amazing."

The car pulled up to the bakery, and both teens hopped out. They were greeted by two smiling faces when they walked through the door.

"Hello, Adrien!" Sabine greeted cheerfully.

"Sorry it took me so long to get the measurements." Marinette handed the paper to her father. "I ran into Adrien, and we started talking."

"That's fine, sweetheart."

"Maman, would it be okay if I grabbed a few croissants. Adrien didn't eat any lunch."

Marinette's mother gasped. "Well, that won't do! Come here, my dear, and we'll pick out a few things."

Adrien didn't try to contain his excitement. "Thanks, Mrs. Cheng!"

"Anytime."

While he looked at the case of treats, Marinette's father spoke to her with a booming voice. "I know it's short notice, but I'm going to need you to help me with setting up over at the venue tonight."

"But, papa, Adrien wanted to hang out with me after school." Marinette drooped.

Adrien couldn't stand to see her looking upset. "I can help out if you want."

"It's okay. You don't have to," she said sadly, "We can hang out another time."

"No, I insist. If I go home, I'd just sit around watching YouTube videos all night."

"Okay. Thank you, _Prince Charming_." She said with a curtsey.

He laughed and bowed. "Anything for you, _Princess_."

* * *

Once again, Marinette found it impossible to focus in class. She spent the rest of the school day daydreaming of blond boys in disguise.

Nothing made sense anymore. Her heart felt like it was being stretched to opposite sides of the earth, and she didn't know what to do.

Once school was finally over, she and Adrien made their way over to the bakery. They spent the next several hours carrying various items over to the venue. By the time they were finished, they were sweating and laughing. She never wanted their time together to end.

When Adrien finally left, Marinette sat alone with her thoughts. She did her best to focus on something other than her troubled heart, but memories of the time she spent with each boy continued to dance through her mind. She tried distracting herself by designing, watching videos, and working on homework, but nothing she did was able to calm her down. She felt restless.

Marinette climbed onto her balcony and allowed the cool breeze to caress her face. She closed her eyes and attempted to sort out her thoughts.

The time she'd spent with Adrien today was like a dream come true. It was everything that she'd ever wanted, and it seemed like he was starting to think of her as more than just a friend. At the same time, today made her realize that there were still so many things that she didn't know about Adrien. It was as if there was a part of himself that he kept hidden from the world. The thought of getting to know that side of him excited her.

As her mind began to picture what a relationship with Adrien would look like, her thoughts wandered to Chat Noir. Last night had been proof that her love for him had always existed, and there was no question that he was deeply in love with her. However, she also knew that their job as superheroes would get in the way of them having a real relationship with each other.

"If only I knew Chat as a civilian, Tikki. That would make all of this so much easier," she said, looking out at the Parisian skyline.

The tiny red being landed on Marinette's shoulder. "Well, as the Guardian, you are more than welcome to…"

"Wait!" she exclaimed, cutting off her Kwami, "I think I hear something."

Marinette closed her eyes and could just make out the faint sound of a piano playing in the distance. When her eyes landed on the park, she saw light pouring out of the gazebo in the middle of the venue.

"It's Chat," she whispered, "He came back, Tikki. I have to go see him!"

The kwami giggled. "Then go!"

"Tikki, SPOTS ON!" she yelled, letting the bright pink light wash over her.

She quickly unsheathed her yo-yo and swung down to the park. She landed inside the fenced-off area and quietly made her way to the gazebo. When she reached the decorated entranceway, she found Chat Noir playing the same song he'd played for her the night before.

"Hello, Chat." She sat down next to him on the bench.

He stopped playing. "Good evening, Ladybug. It's not a patrol night. Any _purr-ticular _reason you're here?"

"I've had an interesting day, and I heard you playing. I was hoping you would let me listen to your song again."

"Anything for you, my lady."

"Thank you."

He positioned his fingers on the keys, paused, and looked up. "Actually, I was wondering if you would indulge me for a moment."

She nodded. "Uhh...sure?"

"There are words to the song, and I was hoping you would let me sing them for you."

"You mean, it's not just the melody?"

"Is it okay if I sing?"

"Oh, yes, I would love to hear the words."

She rested her head on his shoulder, and he simply smiled and turned his attention towards the keys. When he played the first chord, her heart soared.

And then he began to sing.

**"_Can't say how the days will unfold,_**

**_Can't change what the future may hold._**

**_But, I want you in it._**

**_Every hour, every minute."_**

Tears began to form in the corners of her eyes. She could feel the ache in his heart, and she suddenly longed to hold him and never let him go.

**"_This world can race by far too fast._**

**_Hard to see while it's all flying past,_**

**_But it's clear now,_**

**_When you're standing here now._**

**_I am meant to be wherever you are next to me."_**

The depth of his love struck her soul. It was unlike anything she'd ever experienced before.

**"_All I want to do_**

**_Is come running home to you,_**

**_Come running home to you._**

**_And all my life I promise to_**

**_Keep running home to you._**

**_Keep running home_**

**_To you."_**

She tried to picture a relationship with Chat in their civilian lives. Ladybug did her best to remove the mask from his face, but to her despair, Adrien's face popped into her mind, reminding her of the decision she had to make.

**"_And I could see it,_**

**_Right from the start,_**

**_Right from the start._**

**_That you would be_**

**_Be my light in the dark,_**

**_Light in the dark._**

**_Oh, you gave me no other choice_**

**_But to love you._"**

She was hopelessly in love with both of them, and she had no idea what to do. Tears began to flow freely down her cheeks.

**"_All I want to do_**

**_Is come running home to you,_**

**_Come running home to you._**

**_And all my life I promise to_**

**_Keep running home to you,_**

**_Keep running home,_**

**_Home to you._**

**_Can't say how the days will unfold._**

**_Can't change what the future may hold._**

**_But, I want you in it,_**

**_Every hour, every minute._"**

When the last note faded away, they sat in a comfortable silence. They didn't move or speak for several minutes.

She sniffled. "Thank you, _Chaton_."

"No." He shook his head. "Thank you for letting me sing."

"It was beautiful." She got off of the piano bench and clutched her yo-yo in her hands. "I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow for patrol."

Chat kept his eyes glued on the keys. "I'll see you tomorrow, my lady."

She threw her yo-yo and vaulted into the night. When she landed on her balcony, she detransformed, collapsed into a heap, and sobbed.

"_Why couldn't they be the same person?_" she thought, before a pair of strong, familiar arms gently wrapped themselves around her.


	5. Comfort

Hello, lovely readers! Welcome back! The day five prompt is "Comfort".

Enjoy!

* * *

Chat Noir didn't look up when Ladybug swung off into the night. He couldn't bring himself to look at her, so he kept his eyes glued to the piano. Every cell in his body was frozen in place.

Even though it hadn't been a patrol night, Chat knew his lady would find him in the park. He knew that she would come to him. He knew that she would want to be with him.

Since Stoneheart's defeat, he could sense the connection that pulsed between their souls, tying their fates together. Sometimes, it was almost as if they could read each other's minds. He loved that about their relationship.

However, despite the connection he had with his partner, today made him realize that his lady had never actually possessed his whole heart. She only had a piece of it, and the other half of it belonged to another girl. He was now one hundred percent sure that he was hopelessly in love with both Ladybug and Marinette Dupain-Cheng, and he had no idea what to do.

When he transformed earlier that night, he thought that playing the piano for Ladybug again would bring him closure. He thought that he would finally know who his heart wanted, but he now had more questions than ever before.

Why did thinking about Ladybug and Marinette suddenly make his brain hurt?

Why did spending time with both girls feel the same?

And why were their eyes _so blue_?

He closed the lid on the piano and leaned back. Home was the last place that he wanted to be, but he knew that he needed to sleep. He had a photoshoot in the morning, and his make-up artist was getting tired of covering up the rings that were always under his eyes.

After several more minutes of pensive silence, Chat finally mustered the energy to get up and leave. With a heavy sigh, he unsheathed his baton and launched himself onto a rooftop across the street from the park.

Even though he was on the building next door, he did his best to avoid looking at the Dupain-Cheng's bakery; however, the faint sound of sniffling made him involuntarily turn his attention to the balcony that led to Marinette's room. When his eyes landed on a small, huddled form that sat alone in the darkness, he began to panic.

A flurry of thoughts raced through his mind. "_Marinette is crying_. _She could get Akumatized. I have to go to her._"

Without hesitation, he leaped onto the adjacent rooftop and wrapped his arms around the sobbing girl. "Shhh, it's okay, Marinette. I'm here, and I won't let anything happen to you. You can cry. No butterflies will visit you tonight. I promise."

He heard her whimper his name between sobs before collapsing into his embrace. As she continued to cry, he simply held her and stroked her hair.

When the tears finally began to subside, he could feel her breathing begin to slow. Chat gradually loosened his grip until he locked eyes with Marinette. Her unshed tears glistened in the pale moonlight like diamonds at the bottom of the ocean. His heart melted upon seeing the anguish in her expression.

"Chat Noir?" she whispered, breaking the silence that had fallen between them.

He gently touched her cheek. "Yes?"

"Thank you."

"Anything for you, Princess."

She gasped. "You called me 'Princess'."

"I guess I did," he chuckled nervously.

"That's right! You called me 'Princess' before my date with Evilustrator. That's why it sounded so familiar."

"Oh?"

"A boy called me 'Princess' earlier today, and…" Her voice trailed off as a fresh set of tears began to streak down her cheeks.

Doing his best to ignore the pit that had formed in his stomach, Chat carefully wiped some of the tears away with his thumb. "And did this boy...umm...hurt your feelings?"

"No, of course not. He's incredible. He...we...I...I'm so confused! You just remind me of him, or maybe he reminds me of you. I DON'T KNOW ANYMORE!" She buried her face in her hands and once again began to cry.

He pulled her back into his arms and rocked her back and forth. "What can I do? Please tell me how I can help you."

"Stay," she croaked between sobs.

Chat tightened his hold. "I'm still right here. I'm not going to leave you."

"I know."

The crying lasted longer than before. His heart cracked each time he felt her shake in his arms. Knowing that he was the source of her pain made him want to detransform and profess his love, and if it hadn't been for the image of Ladybug that popped into his brain, he would have. The confusion in his own heart had stopped him from making Marinette feel better, and that made him angry. However, all thoughts regarding his own emotions melted away when the girl in his arms shifted.

"Thank you for staying with me." She rested her head against his chest.

He nuzzled his cheek on the crown of her head. "You keep saying 'thank you'. There's no need to thank me."

"One should always take the time to thank the valiant knight who comes to her aid."

"But it's my duty to help the princess when she's in trouble."

"I'm not royalty."

"You could be."

She gasped. "I...you...have you said that to me before? A lot has happened today, and everything is starting to blend together. I can't think straight."

"If I had, would that be so bad?" The desire to detransform surged again.

Marinette shook her head and touched his cheek. "No, it would actually make everything a lot easier."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know, Chat."

"You are always welcome to tell me what's on your mind. I won't judge."

"No, I'm not worried about that, it's just…"

"Just what?"

She slid out of his arms and pulled her knees close to her chest. "Have you ever been in love with two people at the same time?"

"Yes." Chat got onto his feet and walked to the edge of the balcony. "I just wish that my heart would tell me what to do."

She moved next to him. "It's kind of hard when you're living in two different love stories at the same time. If only it was like the movies. You know, the ones where two separate plotlines turn out to be the same one in the end?"

"That'd be convenient."

"Yeah, but that kind of stuff doesn't happen in real life. I'm starting to learn that 'happily ever afters' are just for fairytales."

"But what if we actually were living in a fairytale?"

"Doubtful. I'm not wearing a big, fluffy dress."

He laughed. "Hold on. You're telling me that the only reason you know you're not in a fairytale is because you're not wearing a dress right now?"

Marinette scoffed. "Excuse me, but I would one hundred percent be wearing a ballgown if this was in a fairytale. I'm an aspiring fashion designer. Do you really think I'd pass up the chance to get dressed up?"

"And you're sure that a dress is the only thing that's missing?"

"Well, I already have a knight and a prince, and both of you keep calling me 'Princess'. Also, you're living proof that magic exists in this world, so yeah, I'm just missing the dress."

"So this boy you were talking to today...is he the prince?"

"Yeah."

"And you're upset because you love him and someone else?"

"Yeah."

Chat's heart pounded against his chest. "And how do you know that you're in love with this prince of yours?"

She smiled. "I hated him when I first met him. I thought he was spoiled, but I was wrong. He's actually one of the nicest people I've ever met."

"What did he do to change your mind?"

"He gave me an umbrella."

He closed his eyes and allowed his thoughts to return to the front steps of the school on the rainy afternoon where he'd asked Marinette to give him a second chance. "_She's loved me since the beginning_."

"And what about the second person you're in love with?" he asked, afraid to hear her answer.

She leaned against the railing. "What about him?"

"When did you fall in love with him?"

"When he played me a song that he wrote."

One name echoed against the walls of his mind. "_Luka_."

Chat took a deep breath and cleared his throat. "So, how long have you been in love with the other boy?"

She bit her lip. "I would like to say that it's a recent development, but I think I've been in love with him since I met him. I just didn't want to admit it because I was head over heels for the prince."

"Does that mean that you stopped loving the prince for a while?"

"No, my love for him will never go away. When he started dating someone else, I worked hard to ignore my feelings for him, but today I found out that he broke up with his girlfriend. Because I started recognizing my feelings for the other boy, I didn't think that knowing that bit of information about the prince would make my crush on him come back."

"But it did?"

"Big-time, and I think he was flirting with me. I'm not sure, but I had the best day with him. When I was with the prince, I almost forgot about the other boy."

"What made you remember him?"

"It turns out that the prince and the other boy are freakishly alike, but then again, that might just be my mind playing tricks on me. I've only gotten two hours of sleep in the past forty-eight hours, and my brain is not functioning properly."

"Wait...what? Why are you still awake?"

"My mind feels restless. Confused, but restless."

"You should be sleeping."

"Are you the mom friend now?"

He crossed his arms. "I'm serious."

"You can't make me." She stuck out her tongue.

Chat snaked his arm around her waist, placed his other arm behind her knees, and swept her off her feet. "Watch me."

Marinette giggled and secured herself by wrapping her arms around the back of his neck. "Fine. Now that you have me, what's your plan, kitty-cat?"

"Well, if the princess refuses to go to bed, then her knight will just have to take her there himself. Then, once you are there, I will bid you goodnight so you can sleep for ten hours."

"As wonderful as that sounds, there's something I don't like about your plan."

"And what might that be?"

She craned her neck so her mouth was next to his ear. "I don't want you to leave."

He swallowed. "I think that's just the exhaustion talking, Marinette.

"It might be, but I don't want to be alone right now."

"What if I stayed until you fell asleep?"

"Deal."

Chat felt his cheeks grow warm when she closed her eyes and rested her head against his chest. He then tightened his grip on her and walked over to the windowed hatch that led to her room. Using his foot, he opened the hatch and gently hopped onto her bed. He peeled back the covers, placed her onto the mattress, and tossed the comforter over her. He then sat at the edge of her bed and looked at the sky through the window.

"What are you doing?" Marinette groaned, turning over in her bed.

He whipped his head in her direction. "I'm waiting for you to fall asleep."

"I know, but why are you all the way over there?"

"I don't want to bother you."

"You know you're allowed to come over here."

"But you're trying to sleep."

She opened her arms. "And getting a hug from my favorite knight would really help me fall asleep."

He took a deep breath and crawled across the bed. Once he was close enough, Marinette grabbed him and pulled him close. She ran her fingers through his hair and began to hum a familiar tune.

Chat closed his eyes and listened. "Where did you hear that song?"

"The other boy I fell in love with played it in the park last night," she said with half-lidded eyes before continuing to hum.

His mind went blank. "_But that would mean that she's in love with_…"

"Me," he whispered.

"Of course it's you. Who else would it be?"

"How could you possibly know that?"

She buried her face into his chest. "I know more than you think."

He tried to wrap his mind around her last statement. "What do you mean by that?"

Chat waited for an answer, but the only response he received was the sound of soft, slow breaths. When he pulled away from her embrace, Marinette didn't move.

"Princess?" he said quietly, "Are you still awake?"

He was once again met with silence.

"_She was deliriously tired_," his mind mused while he continued to look at the sleeping beauty in his arms, "_She probably didn't know what she was saying_."

Doing his best to not disturb her, he carefully moved his arm away from Marinette and pulled the covers up to her shoulders. He then opened the hatch and climbed onto the balcony. Before closing the window, he took one last look inside the room.

"Goodnight, Princess," he whispered, "I'll see you soon."

Chat unsheathed his baton and vaulted into the night. He bounded over the rooftops until he was close enough to jump through his bedroom window. Once inside, he detransformed and collapsed onto his couch.

"Plagg," he groaned, running his fingers through his hair, "Marinette started humming my song again, and then she told me that she was in love with me...like, not just Adrien me, but Chat Noir me, as well."

The Kwami shoved a piece of cheese into his mouth and landed on Adrien's shoulder. "And that's a bad thing because…"

"Because she fell asleep about thirty seconds later! She couldn't have possibly meant any of the things that she'd just said. Luka is the other boy she's in love with. Not Chat Noir."

"Are you serious?"

"The other boy isn't me. It's Luka. It's the only thing that makes sense."

Plagg rubbed his temples with his paws. "I can't do this anymore."

Adrien sat up. "What are you talking about?"

"This. I can't do _this_ anymore."

"Am I supposed to know what "_this_" is?"

"Yes, but apparently, you don't. Let's just hope that Tikki can talk some sense into Ladybug because this has to stop."

"What does any of this have to do with Ladybug? I was talking about Marinette."

"You literally have all the pieces to the puzzle. How can you not see it?"

"See what?"

"That's it!" Plagg flew close to Adrien's face and jabbed him on the nose. "You're not even trying. I'm going to sleep, and I suggest you do, as well. Don't wake me up until you've figured it out."

"Get back here, Plagg!" he yelled as he watched his Kwami disappear into a laundry basket.

"NO! GOODNIGHT, ADRIEN!"

"Fine, goodnight, whatever."

He rolled his eyes and got ready for bed in a huff. When he crawled under his covers and began to drift off, the events of the past twenty-four hours began to replay in his mind.

* * *

Marinette's eyes flicked open. "Tikki, how did I get here?"

"I...what?" her Kwami groaned on the pillow next to her.

"I was on the balcony with Chat Noir. He picked me up, but now I'm in bed."

"You really don't remember?"

"No, should I?"

"Chat Noir brought you inside after you asked him to stay with you. Then, you cuddled with him and mumbled a whole bunch of stuff before you passed out."

"Oh, wait!" She paused before continuing. "I remember now! He tucked me in, but...what did I say to him? What did I say?"

Tikki closed her eyes. "Go to sleep, Marinette."

"How on earth am I supposed to do that while I'm in the middle of a crisis!"

"I'd hardly call this a crisis."

"But how am I supposed to choose between Chat and Adrien? How? They are both kind and selfless. I love both of them, Tikki!"

"Marinette…"

"And how am I supposed to pick when I don't even know who Chat is?"

"Marinette…"

"This would all be so much easier without the masks in the way."

"_Marinette_…"

"If only there was a way to know who he was."

"MARINETTE!"

She looked at her Kwami. "Yeah, what's up?"

Tikki zipped over to Marinette's face. "You are going to listen to what I'm about to say. I've been trying to tell you this all day, and you've interrupted me every single time. Just be quiet and listen!"

Marinette hugged her legs against her chest. "Sorry."

"You don't need to be sorry. I just need you to listen."

"Okay, I'm ready."

"Now that you are the Guardian, it is your right to know who all of the Miraculous wielders are, and that includes Chat Noir."

"You're not suggesting what I think you are...are you?"

"Yes, I am. I am asking you to seriously consider having you and Chat reveal your identities to each other."

"But you always said…"

"Things have changed."

"But…"

"No buts! Just consider it, please. I'm begging you. Put us out of our misery. Plagg and I are way too old for this."

"Aren't you as old as time itself?"

Tikki flopped onto her pillow. "Yes, and that's entirely too old to be dealing with this!"

She rolled her eyes and gently patted the top of her Kwami's head. "If it means that much to you, I will think about it."

"Thank you," Tikki sighed, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," she chuckled.

Marinette laid back down and closed her eyes. Despite her best efforts to fall asleep, her mind continued to buzz with activity for the next hour. The thought of knowing Chat's identity filled her with immeasurable joy. When she suddenly realized that her cheeks were hurting because she'd been smiling for so long, she made her decision.

She was going to reveal her identity to Chat Noir...tomorrow.


	6. AU

Hello, lovely readers! Welcome back! The day six prompt is "AU".

I promise you are still reading the same fic. All will make sense in the end.

For this chapter, I collabed with runningash. Her beautiful art is at the end of the chapter.  
(She is flashflashitsash on Tumblr and IG. Go check her out!)

Enjoy!

* * *

"Rise and shine, Your Highness," a loud grating voice called out, "It's time to start your day!"

Adrien groaned, flipped onto his stomach, and smashed his pillow over his head. "Why do you sound so cheerful today, Plagg? You're never happy this early in the morning."

The older man drew the curtains with a flourish. "And why would I not be jumping for joy on a day where I get to attend a party and have access to a buffet?"

"So you're telling me that you and the rest of the palace staff have the night off? I don't know. The ball really seems like an 'all-hands-on-deck' kind of event."

"No one has the night off, young prince. Not even you. Still, as Master of the Household, I am afforded certain opportunities."

"Ahhh, so even though you don't technically have the night off, somehow you've been given the chance to enjoy the party along with all the guests. I hope my father is aware of your plans."

"Enjoy is a strong word. As per the king's orders, someone has to keep you in line tonight; however, it's not a crime to enjoy some expensive cheese while I'm at it."

Adrien sat up. "I thought it was Nathalie's job to keep me in line."

"The Grand Duchess will have other matters to attend to tonight, so His Majesty enlisted me to keep a watchful eye on his son," Plagg grumbled.

"I'm guessing those other matters include wooing my father?"

"And comments like that are precisely why he's asked me to keep an eye on you. He wants me to make sure that you are the perfect gentleman at the ball."

"I am aware of how my father wants me to conduct myself tonight. Pray tell, since when have I not followed his rules?"

"Ever since you met that girl in the market a few months ago."

He felt a swell of emotion rise in his chest. "What can I say? Falling in love with my lady changed me."

"And your clandestine meeting created more work for the rest of us. How I long for the days where you would stay on the palace grounds and attend to your duties," the servant said with a heavy sigh.

"You say that as if you don't enjoy breaking the rules, as well. What happened to the man who helped me escape last week?"

"Today, that man is old, tired, and hungry."

"You never cease to amaze me, Plagg. How can you be both chaotic and lazy at the same time? Teach me your ways."

"Oh, trust me, you don't need any lessons in rule-breaking. You're doing fine all on your own."

"Only because I learned from the best."

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Your Highness."

Adrien did his best to hold back a smile. "While that may be true, your old cloak gets me everywhere I need to go."

"For the love of all that is good in this world, please refrain from disappearing tonight." Plagg pinched the bridge of his nose. "I would like to enjoy my evening at the ball without actually worrying about you."

"I only disappear when it's absolutely necessary."

"Necessary to see your lady friend?"

"Precisely! And she's coming tonight, so I have no need to leave the palace. You will be able to enjoy your disgusting cheese in peace."

The door flew open and thudded against the wall. "Good morning, Your Highness! Isn't it a wonderful day."

"Not while you're around," Plagg mumbled under his breath.

Adrien glared at the older man. "Would you stop that? Even though he's being strangely formal with his greeting this morning, Nino is like a brother to me."

"Trust me, young sire, my aching bones are fully aware of that fact. I know that he's your partner in crime."

Nino shot Adrien a worried look. "He knows? What did you tell him?"

"Where do you think I got the cloak?" Adrien shrugged.

"You're telling me that you got the idea for Chat Noir from _him_?"

Plagg scoffed. "Excuse me, but long ago and far away, I _was _Chat Noir. This fledgling over here is my successor."

Nino smiled, tipped his hat, and bowed. "Good show, sir. May I just say that the cat ears on the cloak are a nice touch."

"My darling Tikki came up with that idea. She even sewed them on for me. It helped us through the dark times we experienced under the former king's rule."

"Are you telling us that life is better with King Gabriel seated on the throne? Goodness, you have some low standards, old man," Nino chuckled.

"You know I could have you beheaded for talking that way about the king." Adrien threw his legs over the side of the bed.

"You could, but then you'd lose the greatest Captain of the Guard this kingdom has ever seen."

"I'm sure we could find some eager, young recruit who would be up to the task."

"But he wouldn't be your best friend."

Adrien stood up. "You've got me there."

"All jokes aside, are you ready for tonight?" Nino asked with a grin.

"Surely you jest?" Plagg laughed, "He won't stop talking about his 'foolproof' plan. That's why he's so tired this morning. He was up all night making sure everything was...oh, how did he put it? _Purr-fect_."

"Wow," Nino shook his head, "You're really taking on that Chat Noir persona with gusto, aren't you?"

He shook his head. "That's just it, my friend. I think Chat Noir is who I've always been. When I put on the mask and cloak, I feel like I can finally be myself. I'm no longer _Prince_ Adrien. I'm just...well, I'm just Adrien."

"Doesn't change the fact that you are a prince."

"Yes, but for a moment, I'm free to live my life as if I'm not. People treat me differently. They see past the jewels and title."

"It's not like anyone would know that you're the prince anyway. You haven't been paraded around in public since your mother died, and that was years ago. No one would recognize you."

"Still, one can never be too careful."

"With your dad around, I can't argue with that."

"Yes, especially with how unreasonable he's been as of late."

"He's always unreasonable, but I agree. I can't believe he reacted like that when you told him about the girl you met."

"Well, I did meet her when I snuck out, and I know that he isn't pleased about that. Unfortunately, I also know that he's doing everything in his power to keep me from the love of my life. He wants me to marry a princess, but why can't he see that my lady is royalty in my eyes. She would make an excellent queen one day."

"Is that why he turned this event into a masquerade at the last minute?"

"Yes, and even though everyone will be wearing masks tonight, I will recognize my lady. Our love will help us find each other," Adrien declared confidently.

"That and the dress you secretly commissioned Tikki to make for your lady friend," Plagg noted.

Nino released a heavy sigh. "That was you? You're the reason I haven't seen Alya in a week? She and Tikki have been working on that gown day and night. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because the fewer people who knew the better." Adrien hung his head. "You've been an amazing friend. You kept my escapades as Chat Noir a secret, and I didn't want my crazy plan to outsmart my father to further jeopardize your position as Captain of the Guard."

"You know I'd do anything for you. I consider you a part of my family."

"I know, but contrary to popular belief, I'd like to actually keep you around."

"I guess that's good to hear. Thank you, brother."

"Speaking of the wonderful Alya, I hope that she's excited for tonight."

"Honestly, she was surprised that she even got an invitation. Alya told me that while she was living in King André and Queen Audrey's kingdom, they would have fabulous parties in which they never invited the 'common folk'."

"Alya is anything but common."

Nino clapped his hand on Adrien's shoulder. "You don't have to tell me twice. I think I'm going to ask for her hand in marriage tonight."

"Truly?" Adrien embraced his friend. "Congratulations. You are a lucky man."

Plagg cleared his throat. "May I remind you that breakfast starts in fifteen minutes? I doubt you want your father in a foul mood today."

"My father never eats breakfast with me. He'll never know if I'm late."

"He's already in the dining hall counting down the minutes until your arrival."

"WHAT?"

Adrien ran to his closet and threw open the door. He tossed on a pair of tight black pants, a billowing white shirt, and a green vest with gold embroidery.

"Do I look presentable?" he asked while pulling on his black riding boots.

"How you are able to look like that minutes after waking up I'll never know," Nino chuckled.

"I will take that as a 'yes'."

Plagg pulled out a pocket watch. "Now, you have three minutes to get downstairs."

After taking a glance at himself in the mirror on his wall, Adrien ran out of his bedroom and bounded down the stairs. He took a moment to slow his breathing and adjust his vest before quietly walking into the dining hall and taking a seat.

"You're late," King Gabriel said without looking up from the papers in his hands.

"I'm sorry, father." Adrien carefully placed his napkin in his lap. "It won't happen again."

"See that it doesn't. You've been late for a lot of things recently. Is there anything you wish to tell me? You're still not sneaking out to see that girl, are you?"

"No, sir."

"I see. Well, I hope that you are prepared for this evening's festivities."

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Tonight's event is very important for the future of our kingdom."

"I am aware."

"Also, I hope you are ready to announce who your future bride will be by the end of the night."

Adrien choked on air. "Excuse me?"

King Gabriel put down the papers. "This ball is meant for you to choose a wife. I've invited plenty of royal families from neighboring kingdoms. Surely you'll have no problem choosing someone suitable to rule by your side."

"But father, we've never discussed anything like this. I thought tonight was merely a pre-coronation celebration."

"It is, and at your coronation next week, you will have your future queen by your side."

"Is this really necessary?"

"Yes, Adrien." The king leaned forward. "Come this time next week, you will have been declared the crown prince of this kingdom. Our citizens need to know that the royal line of succession remains intact. Having a fiancée will ensure the people that you will have an heir one day."

"But why only one night to choose?" Adrien did his best to stay composed. "This is not one of our traditions. Mother was not by your side at your coronation."

"We live in a different world now. Things are not as they were when I was your age."

"That's because grandfather was still king."

"You will not speak of that man in my presence!"

"And why not?"

Gabriel paused and took a deep breath before returning his attention to his son. "Why the sudden hesitation to marry? You seemed all too eager when you told me about the commoner you met in the market."

Anger continued to boil in Adrien's gut. "Is that what all of this is about? I know that's why you turned this into a masquerade, but would you really rather see me miserable than to love someone beneath our status?"

"I would rather see you in a strong political alliance than throw away your greatest bargaining chip for a frivolous romance with some girl."

"So, my heart is a bargaining chip?"

"No, your hand in marriage is."

"I love her, father."

"You don't even know her name."

"It never came up, and I plan on learning it tonight."

"Love and politics do not go hand in hand."

"Then why were you allowed to love my mother? Or was all of that a lie?"

Both he and his father locked eyes as a tense silence fell between them. After several uncomfortable minutes, a quiet cough caused Adrien to break his stare.

Nathalie sauntered across the room and took her place next to the king. "Pardon my intrusion, sire."

His father's lips curled into a disconcerting smile. "Ahh, good morning, Grand Duchess. I trust the preparations for tonight are nearly complete."

"Indeed they are, Your Majesty; however, I came here to remind Adrien that he has his final suit fitting in ten minutes."

"Just as well." Gabriel redirected his attention to his son. "It would be impolite for you to be late for your appointment with the seamstress. It is not proper to make life unreasonably difficult for our staff."

"You're one to talk," Adrien mumbled under his breath.

The king slammed his hand against the table. "I beg your pardon?"

Not wanting to apologize for his insubordination, Adrien turned his head and looked at the entranceway to the dining hall. Plagg stood silently in the threshold with Nino by his side. Seeing his support system reminded him of all that he had experienced as Chat Noir over the past several months.

He'd found freedom.

He'd found love.

He'd found a life.

And now his father was threatening to take all of it away. Adrien knew that he had to do everything in his power to find the right girl at the ball, and at that moment, he realized that his lady needed to be able to find him, as well.

A wave of confidence washed away the anger. "I don't want to wear the white suit tonight. I want to wear black."

"What did I say about making things difficult for the servants?" Gabriel seethed.

"I have a black suit."

"Black is for funerals, Adrien. This is meant to be a joyous occasion."

"Is it? I had no idea."

"Excuse me?"

"May I interject, Your Majesty," Plagg said, stepping into the room.

Gabriel looked at the servant. "Yes, please come in. Anything to help my son see reason."

"Actually, I was going to suggest a compromise."

"Oh, how very diplomatic, Plagg. My son could learn a thing or two from you."

"Thank you, my lord. I noticed that tensions were running high, and I know that several royal families are staying here at the palace. I thought it might be important for our guests to see us looking calm and collected. Also, getting ourselves worked up now will do us no favors for our moods come this evening."

"As per usual, you're absolutely right. We shouldn't let our emotions get the best of us. Let's hear your suggestion."

"What if the prince wore his blue suit? He looked rather becoming in it at your birthday dinner last month."

"If I recall things correctly, that suit had a tear on the sleeve."

"Yes, Your Highness, but our seamstress could mend it in a matter of minutes."

Gabriel tapped his chin. "Very well. Have one of the maids fetch my son's blue suit and bring it to Tikki."

"I shall bring it to her myself." Plagg bowed and exited the room.

The king turned towards Adrien. "As for you, I expect your best behavior tonight. There will be serious consequences if I find that you are rude to our guests."

Every muscle in his body felt tense. "I would never be rude to our guests. They have done nothing wrong. However, don't expect me to fall in love with anyone new tonight."

"Let's just see what happens at the ball."

"Yes, let's."

"You may take your leave now, Adrien. You don't want to keep Tikki waiting." Gabriel dismissed him with a wave of his hand.

"I will see you at the ball, father." Adrien stood, bowed, and exited the room.

When he turned the corner and began walking down the long corridor towards Tikki's chambers, Nino grabbed him by the arm, stopping him in his tracks.

"What was that?" his friend hissed through gritted teeth, "I've never seen you talk to your father that way? I'm all for thwarting his evil plans behind his back, but do you really think that was wise? This isn't like you."

Adrien pulled his arm out of Nino's grip and continued walking towards his destination. "I'm tired of not being heard."

"You will have plenty of time to be heard when you are king."

"Yes, but forcing me to choose a bride tonight is his way of making sure that he's able to maintain some control even when I am the king. He's setting up political alliances, and if my father gets his way, I'll always be his puppet. This morning proved to me that I'm merely a pawn in whatever sick game he's been playing behind the scenes, and I'll have no more of it."

"Are you insinuating that your father is actually up to something nefarious? I was kidding about the whole 'evil plan' thing before."

"Honestly, I've had my suspicions for a while, but this confirms it for me. He obviously doesn't care about my happiness, so I don't care what his plans are. He had my mother; therefore, I am well within my rights to marry for love. I will find my lady tonight, and if she'll have me, I will ask her to be my bride."

"Then it's a good thing that dress is almost complete," Plagg chuckled as Adrien entered Tikki's room.

Relief washed over him. "It is?"

"Indeed, Your Highness," Tikki replied cheerfully, "I just have to finish sewing on the beading. Would you like to see it?"

"Yes, please."

"Come with me."

The seamstress motioned for Adrien to follow, and he happily obliged. She led him into a large storage space filled with dozens of dress forms, but a floor-length ball gown made of shiny red satin immediately caught his eye. Intricate beading glittered in the closet's dim light and covered the dress's bodice with swirling patterns. The sleeves draped delicately off the mannequin's shoulders and met in the middle to create a sweetheart neckline.

"Tikki." Adrien ran his fingers along the smooth fabric on the skirt. "You and Alya did an amazing job. My lady will love the dress."

The older woman smiled. 'I'm happy you like it, Your Highness."

"I love it."

"Did you tell your lady friend what to say to my apprentice when she goes to retrieve it from the shop?"

"Yes, I spoke with her last night. She knows to tell Alya that the dress is from Chat Noir. I also gave her the pink rose and told her to use it as payment."

"And I will make sure that her invitation is with the dress when she comes to pick it up."

"Excellent."

"Everything's in order. You have nothing to worry about, Your Highness. Now, shoo! I must finish this dress and have it sent into town!"

"Thank you, Tikki!"Adrien laughed, backed out of the storage closet, and bumped into Nino.

"Hey!" Nino exclaimed, rubbing his arm.

"Sorry. I was too busy trying to memorize how that dress looked."

"I'll let it slide this time."

"Thank you."

"So, was it all you hoped it would be?"

"It's a stunning gown, and I'll have no trouble recognizing my lady...as long as she's the one wearing it. What if this doesn't work? What if something goes wrong? Now that my father wants me to choose a bride tonight, there's so much more at stake."

Nino put his hands on Adrien's shoulders. "Breathe, my friend. That dress is only meant to be _one way _for you to recognize your lady. Surely there are other things that you can use to confirm her identity."

"You're right." Adrien nodded. "I would know my lady anywhere. I have a whole list of things that I can use to make sure that I'm dancing with the right girl tonight."

"Well, it's time for your fencing lesson. You can tell me all about your list on the way there."

Adrien felt some of his nervousness melt away. "Excellent! First, let me tell you about her eyes."

"Something tells me that it's going to be a long day," Nino groaned.

"Oh, just wait until I tell you about the song I heard in a dream! When I sang it for her, she kissed me!"

"How many more things are on your list, Adrien?"

"I'm just getting started, Nino, and I've got all day until the ball begins!"

Over the next few hours, Adrien went to his fencing lesson, talked with his best friend, gave the musicians the sheet music for the song he'd sung for his lady, attended to an array of princely duties, and got ready for the ball. Once he was dressed in his navy blue suit, he fastened his mask to his face with a ribbon and placed a silver crown on his head. He then made his way to the ballroom.

Once inside, Adrien kept his eyes glued on the door. He was vaguely aware of the crowds of people and lively music that swirled around him, but the only thing he could hear was the sound of his heart pounding against his eardrums. His anxiousness grew with each passing thump.

"Are you okay, brother?" Nino asked, tapping him on the shoulder, "You look like you're about to pass out."

He wiped his hands against his pants. "No, I'm not okay. She's not here yet. I fear something may have happened to her."

"Well, Alya took the dress to Tikki's shop a few hours ago, and your lady friend is probably still getting ready."

"What if my lady forgot what to say to Alya? What if Alya doesn't believe that my lady is the one who was meant to wear the dress? What if…"

Nino cut him off, "I'm sure everything will work out. If something happened with the dress, you have plenty of other ways to make sure that you pick the right girl. Remember?"

Adrien nodded. "Yes, my lady is much more than the dress she'll put on tonight. I _will_ be able to recognize her."

"Exactly! You have the song that you heard in the dream."

"And there's the color of her eyes and her love of pink."

"By the end of tonight, you will know your lady's name, and she will be your future bride."

"Only if she says yes."

"If she's anything like she is in the stories you've told me, you don't have anything to worry about. It sounds like she's pretty enamored with you, as well," Nino laughed.

"I hope so." Adrien took a deep breath. "Otherwise this is going to be an awkward night."

The doors at the top of the stairs swung open, and Adrien's knees went weak when he saw a guest who was wearing his commissioned dress appear on the balcony. Time stood still as the raven-haired woman floated down the stairs and across the room. He thought he was going to pass out when she finally stopped in front of him.

The woman curtsied. "Good evening, Your Highness."

His gaze remained transfixed on the woman. "Good evening, my…"

Everything inside of Adrien stopped when their eyes met. Behind the red and gold mask that covered the top half of her face, he was met with two shining, brown irises, not the bright ocean blue he'd been expecting,

"Are you alright?" she asked with worry lacing her voice, "Do you feel unwell?"

He shook his head and fought back tears that had begun to pool in his eyes. "My most sincere apologies, miss. I mistook you for someone else."

"Well, I'm afraid you and I have never met. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Princess Kagami Tsurugi."

"Ahhhh, yes. I remember my father mentioning that you and your mother were coming to stay with us. I apologize for not coming to see you when you arrived. Are you enjoying your visit to our kingdom?"

"I am! I even met someone who is supposed to be working here tonight. I fear that I may have promised to spend the evening with him, and I didn't really plan on dancing with you. I hope you're not upset. I know my mother is. She likes it when I follow the rules and spending the night with a commoner definitely goes against _her_ rules."

"I completely understand. My father isn't too happy with me right now either." Adrien took both of Kagami's hands in his own and chuckled. "Trust me when I say that I'm not offended, princess. As long as we're both being honest, I wasn't really planning on dancing with you either. I'm still waiting for someone to arrive."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, a girl."

"Is she also a commoner?"

"Yes."

"And that is why your father is angry."

"He doesn't want me to marry beneath my status."

"Then we live very similar lives."

"It appears that way." Adrien paused before continuing. "Also, I don't know how or why, but you're wearing her dress."

"I am? Is that why you thought I was someone else?" Kagami cocked her head to the side. "Did you think I was her?"

"I did. May I inquire as to how you obtained the gown?"

"The Grand Duchess brought it to my room this afternoon."

"Nathalie?"

"I believe that was her name, yes."

Adrien turned to Nino. "Now do you see what I mean about my father? He has to be up to something."

"Is it bad for me to say that I'm not surprised?" Nino asked, shaking his head.

"Not at all. I've come to expect this kind of nonsense from him over the past few months."

"Well, brother, tonight is not the night to be thinking about your father. Right now, we need to focus on finding your lady."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Kagami looked between both boys.

Adrien sighed. "I'm not sure. Right now my lady is without a dress and an invitation. There's no way for her to get into the palace, and I have no idea where she is right now."

Nino rubbed his chin. "We could always check her house."

"I can't just leave." Adrien pointed to the balcony overlooking the dancefloor. "My father is quite literally watching my every move, and I don't want Plagg to get in trouble. Remember, he's supposed to be 'watching' me."

"Then, let's just wait for Alya. I'm sure she could help us come up with something."

"Are you two talking about me behind my back?" Alya laughed, entering the conversation.

"Perfect timing, as always, my love," Nino leaned over and kissed Alya on the cheek.

"Yeah, yeah. Enough sweet talk. I _have _to tell you two about the night I had." She turned to look at Kagami. "Or should I say three of you?"

Adrien scratched the back of his head. "We're having an interesting night, as well."

"Considering that's the red dress that made me age ten years in two hours, I'm guessing that you know part of what I'm about to tell you."

"We don't know much. Princess Kagami just told us that Nathalie brought the dress to her room this afternoon."

"Wait," Alya turned to the woman in the dress, "you're Kagami? My best friend told me all about you."

"Oh, you must be Alya." Kagami clasped her hands in front of her. "She told me all about you, as well. I was hoping to meet you here tonight."

"She told me that she introduced you to Luka."

"Yes, I did get the chance to meet him."

"I also heard that you two kissed by the fountain last night."

Kagami smirked. "A princess never kisses and tells."

Alya chuckled. "I can see why she likes you. I'm sure she'd be happy to know that you're the one who accidentally received her dress."

"Hold on." Adrien held up his hand. "Are you telling me that your best friend is the person who was supposed to get this dress? You know my lady?"

"Your lady? There's only one person who calls her that. Wait...you're Chat Noir?" Alya pointed an accusatory finger in his direction. "You're the masked gentleman who's visited my best friend almost every single night for the past three months?"

"Guilty as charged."

"So, that means that you're the one who commissioned the dress?"

"Yes, and I'm desperate to know what happened."

Alya nodded. "Of course. Umm...let's see, Tikki sent me into town with the dress once it was completed. I waited for about an hour, and the Grand Duchess told me that the dress was from Chat Noir, and she gave me a pink rose as payment. Tikki told me that the person who did those two things was the rightful owner of the dress, so I gave it to her."

"And what about my lady?"

"You keep calling her 'your lady'. Do you not know her name?"

"If we're being fair, she doesn't know mine, and I plan on asking her what it is once I find her. Right now you're the only one who can help us."

"Point taken. Well, when she came into the shop, she also said the right words and tried to give me the rose, and that's when I knew that there had been a terrible mistake. I was about to give her my dress and invitation when Tikki arrived and saved the day. All the dresses in the shop had been cleared out, so I don't know where Tikki found the one that she gave her."

Adrien breathed a sigh of relief. "So, she did get a dress?"

"Yes," Alya replied with a reassuring smile, "And Tikki gave her an invitation."

"Do you know where she is now?"

The doors once again swung open, revealing another raven-haired woman; however, unlike Kagami, this guest wore a pale pink ball gown with a skirt that billowed behind her. Her arms hugged the form-fitting bodice of her dress as she scanned the room from behind a matching mask. When her eyes locked with Adrien's, she offered him a tiny wave and beamed. He returned the gesture, and she gracefully descended the stairs. All the air left his lungs when she began to walk towards him.

"It's her," he whispered.

Alya placed a hand on his shoulder. "It is, and it's time for the three of us to leave you two alone."

"I'll go ask Luka to play the song we gave him earlier today." Nino then turned to Kagami. "Come, Your Highness. I will show you where the musicians are."

"That would be greatly appreciated," Kagami said with a smile, "Good luck, Prince Adrien."

"Mmmhmm," he said absentmindedly, "Thanks."

Even as the trio walked away, his eyes remained glued to the woman who was slowly making her way across the room. He desperately wanted to run through the crowd, sweep her off her feet, and hold her close, but he knew that his father was still watching; therefore, he made the difficult decision to hold his position.

She quickened her pace the last few feet, crashed into him, and pulled him into a tight embrace. "I'm so happy to see you, _Chaton_. You'll never believe the night I've had."

Adrien wrapped his arms around her and felt fully at peace for the first time that night. "Good evening, my lady. Words cannot describe how overjoyed I am that you are finally here."

"I apologize for not wearing the dress you got me, but there was a little mix-up at the shop."

"I heard, and I don't care. All that matters is that you are here and that you are safe."

"But how did you know that it was me?"

"I could see your beautiful blue eyes from across the room."

"Really?"

"Yes, and considering the number of times I've gotten lost in your eyes, I would recognize them anywhere."

"Stop! You're going to make me blush. How do you always manage to say the most wonderful things?"

"My words come straight from the heart when I'm with you."

"And why is that?"

"Because you bring out the best in me."

Her cheeks grew red as she pulled away from the embrace and tapped him on the nose. "Alright, kitty-cat, am I supposed to listen to your sweet talk all night, or are we going to dance?"

He took one of her hands, raised it to his lips, and kissed it. "I am ready to do whatever the lady wishes."

Adrien's gesture sent her into a fit of giggles that came to an abrupt halt. "Is that a crown?"

"_This is it_," his mind reassured him, "_Now's your chance to tell her who you really are_."

"Yes," he stated with as much confidence as he could muster.

"Oh." She visibly swallowed. "Is it part of your masquerade costume or are you wearing it for another reason?"

"I wear it every day. My father would be very upset if I took it off. He's been watching me all night, so he would know if I did."

"Your father?"

Adrien pointed to the lofted space where his father and several other dignitaries sat with stone-faced expressions. When she turned her head to look, Adrien watched her hands clench the fabric on her skirt.

"My lady?" he asked tentatively, "How are you feeling?"

"I'm f-fine," she squeaked, "Is your father the one sitting on the throne?"

"Yes."

She spun around and faced him. "You're Prince Adrien?"

His heart sank at the sight of tears shining in her eyes. "I am."

"Your Highness," she said quickly, curtsying low, "I am not worthy to stand in your presence. I apologize for my inappropriate behavior. I'll take my leave."

"Wait!" He reached out and gently grabbed her hand, "Are you leaving because my title makes you nervous, or are you leaving because you don't want to be with me anymore?"

"I want to be with you more than anything. My heart aches when you leave me each night."

"Then stay. Please."

"I'm not royalty."

"You could be."

"I'm just a baker's daughter. I'm not special."

Adrien leaned in. "Yes, you are. You're _purr-fect_."

She laughed and wiped a stray tear with the back of her hand. "You really are my _Chaton_, aren't you?"

"I am. This is why I didn't tell you that I was the prince. I wanted you to get to know me without all of the distractions that come with the crown. Can you forgive me?"

"There's nothing to forgive."

"You're not angry?"

"No," she shook her head, "I understand. Your instincts were right. I probably would have run away from you if I had known the truth."

He took her hands. "Are you going to run away now?"

"Now why would I go and do something like that? You still haven't given me that dance you promised."

"Is that so?"

The song being played by the musicians faded away, and the lilting sound of a familiar melody began to resonate throughout the ballroom. Adrien took his lady's hands and gave them a gentle squeeze.

"Is that what I think it is?" Her voice was laced with disbelief.

Adrien nodded. "It is."

"I thought you said that you heard that song in a dream."

"I did, and it plays in my head every time I think of you. It was driving me insane, and I finally had to write it down after a few days. I gave the sheet music to Luka, and Nino just asked him to play it."

"Does this mean that I finally get to dance with you?"

"Yes, my lady."

He pulled her close and placed one of his hands on her waist. She rested her free hand on his shoulder, and they began to glide across the floor. For a moment, everything else in the room melted away, and the only thing left was the incredible woman in his arms.

All too soon, the song ended and the rest of the world came crashing back into focus. He became painfully aware of his father's overbearing glare, and his brain desperately searched for a way to be alone with his lady.

"It's getting kind of warm in here," Adrien mumbled, tugging at his collar.

"Perhaps we could go outside?" she shrugged.

"That's a wonderful idea. I can show you the palace gardens." He held out his arm for her to take.

She smiled and linked her arm with his, and he quickly escorted her out of the ballroom, down the hall, and through a set of doors that led to the gardens. They walked in a comfortable silence until they reached a quiet corner that was hidden by a willow tree in full bloom. Within the tiny space, there was a white gazebo and dozens of rose bushes.

"They're all pink." She reached out and touched the petals of a rose in full bloom.

Adrien felt a pang of sadness shoot through his heart. "This was my mother's favorite spot. She planted all of the bushes here. When I was younger, we'd sit inside the gazebo, and she'd read me all kinds of stories."

"That's a beautiful memory. Thank you for showing me this place."

"She would have loved you. Probably almost as much as I do."

He heard her breath catch. "What did you say?"

"I think I may have just told you that I love you," he chuckled.

"You've never said that to me before."

"I mean it, my lady. I love you with all that I am."

"But you're the prince, and I'm just a commoner."

"That doesn't change how I feel about you."

"What does that mean for us then?"

"It means that I want us to be together."

"Your father wouldn't approve."

"I don't care what my father thinks. He's not going to be king forever."

"Okay." She walked into the gazebo and sat down on a bench. "Let's say we do begin courting. Then what would happen? It's not like we could have a normal relationship."

Adrien took a seat next to her. "My lady, our relationship thus far has been anything but normal."

"True, but still! How would this even work?"

"Well, by the end of the ball, I am expected to choose a bride. If you'll have me, when we go back inside, I will declare you as my future wife. Then you will stand by my side at my coronation next week, and in a year's time we'll be wed."

"You want me to marry you?"

"More than anything in this world. You're already a princess in my eyes, why not make it official?"

"A princess?"

"Yes, the wife of the crown prince becomes a princess. Then, when I become king, you would become my queen."

"Queen?"

"My lady, you are the most incredible person I've ever met. Even in the face of great hardship, you manage to stay positive and selfless. You have the kindest heart and the quickest mind. This kingdom would be lucky to have you as it's queen. You make my life better and brighter, and I would love nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you."

She smiled and choked back a sob. "I love you, too."

"Are those happy tears?" Using his thumb, Adrien wiped the wetness off of one of her cheeks.

"Yes." She nodded into his hand. "They're very happy tears. I love you, too."

He laughed, took her hands, and got down on one knee. "In that case, my beautiful lady, will you marry me?"

"Yes." She pulled him to his feet and threw her arms around him. "A thousand times, yes!"

Adrien picked her up and spun her around, causing her to giggle. When he placed her back onto the ground, he kept her in his arms and rested his forehead against hers.

Without letting go, he pulled away. "There's just one thing that you need to do before I can go back inside and tell my father that I made my decision."

"Oh," she said, looking up, "and what might that be?"

"I need you to tell your name."

"My goodness, I never told you what it was, did I?"

"No, you didn't. You didn't want to tell me what it was during our first meeting, and I didn't want to upset you by asking again."

"You should have said something! I feel so silly now."

"Don't, my lady. We had an interesting start to our relationship. We both chose not to disclose our names, so it makes sense why you would choose to keep something like that to yourself."

"I just got so used to hearing you call me 'your lady', that I forgot to tell you."

She let go of his hands, took a step back, untied the ribbon holding her mask in place, and smiled. "My name is Marinette."

Joy flooded his body and his mind began to spin. Her name sounded like the sweetest symphony. Adrien felt himself falling in love with her all over again. Everything made sense. His lady was Marinette, and all was right with the world.

Then, everything faded to black.

* * *

Adrien's eyes flicked open. His heart was racing and he gasped for air. His mind scrambled to hold onto the memory of the dream that was slowly fading away.

"My lady is Marinette," he whispered.

Plagg groaned. "Kid, why are you awake? It is three o'clock in the morning, and I thought I told you not to wake me up."

"Ladybug is Marinette."

"Finally."

"Marinette is Ladybug."

"Yes, we've already established that."

"I'm not in love with two people."

"Don't tell me you're going to be up for the rest of the night talking about this."

"How can I sleep at a time like this?"

"Just close your eyes or something," Plagg grumbled, "You can finish having your existential crisis in the morning."

He turned away from his Kwami and let his mind race. "_She was right next to me the entire time._"

Adrien grabbed his phone, tapped the screen, and pulled up a new browser. He only had eighteen hours to figure out how to tell Ladybug that he knew who she was. And right now, all he could do was hope that she wanted to know his identity, as well.

And he could also buy flowers. Lots and lots of flowers.


	7. Reveal

Hello, lovely readers! Welcome back! The day seven prompt is "Reveal".

Enjoy!

* * *

"Maybe I shouldn't tell him tonight." Marinette slammed her head onto the desk. "Waiting a few days wouldn't be the worst thing in the world."

"Oh, you're telling him tonight." Tikki crossed her arms.

"Do I have to?"

"Yes."

"But what if he doesn't want to know who I am anymore? What if he gets angry when I bring it up? What if…"

The Kwami cut her off. "Stop saying such silly things! You know that Chat Noir wants to know who you are."

She picked up her head and looked at Tikki. "But what if he changed his mind."

"You're joking, right? He wrote a song for you, and then he played it on the piano. TWICE."

"I'm just having second thoughts."

Tikki rubbed her paws against her head. "Marinette, I'm going to say this once, so listen closely. Are you ready?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Tikki, I'm listening."

"Your identities were only supposed to remain a secret until you and your partner learned to trust each other. The two of you are the best holders that Plagg and I have ever had. You and Chat have an incredible partnership, and it's time to tell him who you are."

"It is?"

"Yes. That, and Plagg and I are being driven insane by you two."

"But Master Fu told us that we had to keep our identities hidden from each other."

"Master Fu was a wise man, but he also lived his life in fear. He was constantly running from something. My holders have always learned the identities of their partners at some point. It's part of the natural progression of your relationship with each other."

"But there are so many things that could go wrong."

"And there are even more things that could go wrong if you two don't know the truth. Remember, I've been around a lot longer than Master Fu, and I've seen this all before. Also, you're the Guardian now. You need this. He needs this. We all need this. _Please_ tell him."

"I guess you're right."

"I am, and trust me, everything will make sense after tonight."

"I hope so," Marinette sighed.

Her kwami nuzzled her cheek. "I know with one hundred percent certainty that tonight will be one of the happiest nights of your life."

"Okay, I trust you, Tikki."

"Thank you. Now, tell me, what time are you meeting him tonight?"

"Nine o'clock at our usual spot. That gives me one hour to get ready." Marinette hopped out of her chair and ran to her closet. "I was thinking of wearing my pink polka dot dress, but if we're going to be on a roof, I don't want to be cold when I detransform."

"You could always wear a sweater," Tikki suggested, "Or you could just use Chat Noir's warmth."

"Tikki!"

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

"I'm shocked. I thought you were supposed to be the good one!"

"Plagg may be more chaotic than I am, but I can't help it! It's been so long since I've seen our holders in love. Can you blame me?"

Marinette shook her head. "No, tonight is _not _about love. It's about revealing our identities. _That's it_."

"Mmmhmm," Tikki smirked, "Sure. Whatever you say."

"It's true! I don't have the energy to deal with love right now. Once I know who Chat is, then I can take a few days and maybe figure out this whole thing with him and Adrien."

"I still think you'll take one look at civilian Chat and tell me that I was right."

"And you would know that because you know who he is."

"Yup."

She paused and bit her lip. "Can I ask you something about him?"

Her Kwami nodded. "As long as it's not his name, sure."

"Is he just as cute under the mask as he is with it on?"

"That's for you to find out."

"Oh, no! That means he _is_!" Marinette rushed over to her vanity and pulled out her hair ties. "I should do something with my hair, and a sweater would be cute, right? And maybe I should put on some lip gloss? Help! What should I do?"

Tikki giggled. "You do realize that he'll think you're beautiful even if you're wearing a brown paper bag, right?"

"I know, but this is the first time he's seeing me without the mask."

"No, it's not."

"Okay, true, but this is the first time he's seeing me while knowing that I'm Ladybug."

"Go get ready! You're going to be late if you spend all your time talking to me about it."

"Oh, my God! You're right!"

Throwing open the drawer, she pulled out a curling wand, plugged it in, waited for it to heat up, and began styling her hair. When she was satisfied with the outcome, she ran to her closet and dug out a white sweater.

"You only have five minutes left until nine o'clock." Tikki landed on her shoulder. "Are you ready to go?"

Marinette gave herself a once over in the mirror and nodded. "Yeah, I'm ready. I can do this."

"Yes, you can!"

"Tikki, SPOTS ON!"

She closed her eyes and allowed the bright pink magic to wash over her. When her eyes reopened, Ladybug smiled back at her in the mirror. Her hair was once again in pigtails, but the thought of Chat Noir seeing her as Marinette filled her with bubbling excitement and a calming wave of confidence.

She was ready. Hopefully, Chat would be ready, as well.

As she reached for her yo-yo, it chimed. Ladybug flipped open the device and read the message on the screen.

**CN: **Could you meet me at the gazebo instead of our usual spot? I have something I need to show you

Her heart thumped against her chest.

Seeing his words sent a flurry of thoughts racing through her mind. "_Is it another song? Did he find something? Why the gazebo? Does he want to tell me that he still loves me? NO. Tonight is not about love_."

She took a deep breath, composed a reply, and hit send.

**LB: **Sure. Is everything okay?

His response came only seconds later.

**CN: **Yes, I'm fine. I just need to talk to you. See you soon.

Her heart thumped again.

**LB: **Be there in a few.

Ladybug closed the communicator, climbed onto her bed, lifted herself onto her balcony, and swung across the rooftops. In less than a minute, she landed in the middle of the park.

Unlike the previous two nights, there were no decorations or lights. After helping her parents cater the wedding, she'd watched as the workers cleaned up the venue. The space now felt cold and lifeless.

"You came." Chat's voice filled her with warmth.

She walked towards the gazebo. "You asked me to come."

"Wait!" he shouted, causing her to stop in her tracks, "Don't come any closer."

"Why? What's going on? Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine, but I need to say something before you see me."

"See you? _Chaton_, I see you all the time. What happened?"

"I had a dream, or I guess it was a dream? Maybe it was real, or maybe it was my brain trying to tell me something. I don't know what happened, but when I woke up, everything was different. I don't even know how to start. I'm messing all of this up." She heard him groan and sigh.

Through the darkness, Ladybug could feel the frustration radiating off of him. While she didn't know what was wrong, she was willing to do anything to make him feel better. She was ready to detransform without warning, run to him, hold him, and tell him that everything was okay. She wanted him to know that she was going to be there for him no matter the circumstances.

"Chat Noir, please let me come over," Ladybug pleaded, "I have something I need to say to you, as well. I think it will make everything better, and it'll help us get through whatever this is...together."

His response came without hesitation. "No, not yet. I just need a few minutes."

"Then, will you at least tell me what's wrong? You're scaring me."

"Agghhh!" he screamed, "I really am messing this up!"

Worry began to settle in her gut. "What's going on, Chat?"

"I'm so sorry. Here I am, trying to make this romantic, and I wind up freaking you out. Nothing is wrong, my lady. I'm just a little nervous."

"Did you say romantic?"

"Yeah, I..I...you see, I'm…"

"He's trying to tell you that he loves you," a gravelly voice chimed in, cutting him off.

"Plagg!" Chat said through gritted teeth.

"You love me?" Her heart pounded against her chest.

"Yes, I always have," he said quickly before scolding his Kwami, "Don't make me regret bringing you with me."

"Oh, and how exactly would you have gotten here on your own?"

"I could have walked."

Ladybug's feet may have been planted on the ground, but she was soaring far above the city. A flurry of thoughts bombarded her consciousness as she desperately searched for a way to land.

"_He loves me_," her mind sang, "_He still loves me. He always has. Even Plagg…_"

Her newest realization sent her crashing back to earth.

"Wait." She paused before continuing. "Plagg?"

With a smug grin plastered across his face, the Kwami emerged from the shadows and hovered in front of her face. "Hey, Ladybug. Long time, no see."

"But if you're here…" She could almost hear the cogs turning in her mind. "Chat, you're not transformed."

"Uhhh, no, I am not," he replied with a nervous chuckle.

"But you just sent me a message on the communicator."

"I detransformed the second you said you were on your way."

"Someone could have seen you!"

"Nah, there's no one here. I checked three times, but if it makes you feel any better, I was hiding in a bush."

"And how long have you been doing that?"

"We've been in this park for _hours_," Plagg groaned, "The second those workers left, he started setting everything up. I'm begging you. Please just get this over with so we can all move on and so I can see Tikki."

"Can one of you _please _tell me what's going on?" She turned towards where she assumed her partner was standing in the darkened gazebo. "What have you been setting up?"

"Something for you," he whispered.

"And it took you hours?"

"I wanted to do this right."

"And you're really in love with me?"

"Yes, I'm in love with every single part of you, Marinette."

"Oh, Chat, I…" Her brain replayed his previous statement. "I'm sorry, what did you just say?"

"I know who you are, my lady." She could hear the happiness in his voice. "And if you would like, I'm ready to tell you who I am, as well."

His unseen smile was contagious. Her cheeks began to ache from the unbridled joy that coursed through her veins and showed on her face.

"Please let me see you," she begged for the second time, "I came here tonight to tell you who I was, but you already know. Why are you still standing in the dark?"

"Because he's a hopeless romantic," Plagg scoffed.

He laughed. "It's true. I am, but I'm not feeling quite so hopeless anymore."

Ladybug shielded her eyes as the space around her was filled with light. When her eyes finally adjusted to the change, she was met with a beaming Adrien Agreste wearing a wine red button-up shirt and black slacks. The gazebo was adorned with thousands of twinkling lights and dozens of pink roses.

"Adrien," she breathed.

"Marinette," he said reverently, "My beautiful lady."

All at once, everything made sense. Until now, her heart had been broken into two, the pieces divided between two loves, but seeing Adrien stand in Chat Noir's place filled in the cracks. The war that raged inside her had ended, and all of the confusion finally melted away.

It felt familiar.

It felt safe.

It felt right.

At a loss for words, Ladybug took a tentative step towards the gazebo. "The lights you put up...they look like stars. They're so beautiful and bright."

"And yet no light compares to how brightly you shine, my lady. You illuminate every inch of the darkness."

She felt her cheeks grow warm.

"You're such a flirt," she said teasingly, biting her lip.

"Is that okay?" Adrien looked away. "I know you weren't very comfortable with it in the past."

"Things are different. If we're being honest, past me is definitely kicking herself right now."

"I know the feeling."

"I have so many questions."

"And I'd be happy to answer them. We have all the time in the world."

"Okay," she laughed, "Well, first, is this really happening?"

He walked towards her and took her hands in his own. "Yes."

"So, I'm not dreaming that the two boys I fell in love with are actually the same person?"

"No, but you were definitely in _my_ dreams last night."

"What?"

"That's how I figured it out."

She cocked her head to the side. "From a dream?"

He nodded. "I think my mind put it together for me. I don't know how to explain it. It was like the universe was screaming the answer to all my questions. For a moment, I was in a different world. All I know is that when I woke up, I knew that Marinette was Ladybug and Ladybug was Marinette. The two girls who hold my heart had become one, and all was right with the world."

Ladybug took a moment to absorb his words and suddenly felt the urge to feel his hands without the suit in the way. She knew it was time to break down all the barriers that stood between them.

"Spots off," she whispered, giving Adrien's hands a gentle squeeze.

When the bright light had faded, Marinette immediately felt his warmth on her palms. Not wanting the moment to end, she leaned in, and he followed in suit. Adrien rested his forehead against hers, and they both laughed.

"I can't believe it's you." Her vision started to blur from unshed tears beginning to pool in the corners of her eyes.

"Really?" She could feel his breath as he spoke. "Because it only makes sense for you to be Ladybug. You're amazing, Marinette."

"Don't get me wrong, it makes all the sense in the world, but I'm still trying to figure out how I got so lucky."

"I'd like to think that _purr-haps _we were meant to be."

"Yeah, no, you're definitely my _Chaton_," Marinette giggled, "Your jokes still have the worst timing. How did I not see it before?"

"_Your Chaton_? I like the sound of that, _my lady_." Even without his transformation, there was a gentle purr behind his words.

"Alright, _my Chaton_, second question."

"I'm all ears, _my lady_."

"Can I hear more about this dream? I'm very curious to find out what made you realize that I was Ladybug."

"How about I tell you over dinner. Say...tomorrow?"

"Very smooth."

"Don't let my words fool you. I'm completely panicking on the inside."

"I am, as well, but at the same time, I know that I can trust you completely. That's the only reason I haven't melted into a puddle of goo."

"You'd be a very cute puddle of goo. Nervous Marinette is adorable."

"You mean the Marinette who couldn't form coherent sentences around you."

"Yup," he chuckled, "That's the one. So, what do you say? Will you go to dinner with me tomorrow?"

"Yes," she nodded, "It's a date."

"_Paw-some_."

"Oh, no! Don't make me regret saying 'yes'!"

"You know you love my puns."

"Yeah, I guess I do. You know what I would love even more, though?"

"What's that?"

She shifted her head and nuzzled his nose. "I would love it if you kissed me."

He placed his hands on her waist and smirked. "I think that could be arranged."

"Just come here, you silly cat!" Marinette grabbed his cheeks, pulled him towards her, and closed the gap between them.

When their lips crashed together, she was transported. The gazebo's lights brightened, and the air around them grew warm.

The kiss was a release of every longing sigh, stolen glance, and suppressed "I love you" that had been exchanged between them since the day they'd met. It healed every heartbreak and washed away the pain from the countless lonely nights spent wishing for something more.

It was everything.

_He_ was her everything.

Feeling the gentle movement of Adrien's lips under her own made her knees weaken. As if he sensed her imminent collapse, he tightened his grip around her waist, straightened his back, lifted her onto her toes, and deepened the kiss. She moved her fingers into his hair and played with the tendrils that hung around the nape of his neck.

All too soon, she ran out of air and pulled away. "Can we do that again?"

"Oh, God, yes." He once again pressed his lips against hers and sent her to another world.

While this kiss was shorter, it was every bit as meaningful as the first. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her even closer. The warmth of his chest against her torso flooded her brain with immeasurable bliss. Relishing the sensation, she melted into his embrace.

When he pulled away, he peppered her face with smaller kisses, sending her into a fit of giggles. "Adrien! What are you doing?"

He placed one last gentle kiss on her forehead. "Showering you with love and affection."

Marinette playfully tapped his nose. "There will be plenty of time for that later. Right now, we have a job to do."

"What else could we possibly be doing right now?"

"It's a patrol night."

"But we're both dressed up, and we're having a great time together."

"We still have a responsibility to this city."

"Are you seriously telling me that Paris won't survive one night without us?"

"Well, I guess it could, but I was also kind of wondering what it might be like to kiss Chat Noir on top of the Eiffel Tower, but if you don't want to do it…"

He cut her off. "Now hold on just one second. Let's not be hasty. I know for a fact that Chat Noir would love to do something like that."

"Oh yeah?"

"Most definitely."

"In that case, Tikki, SPOTS ON!" When her transformation was complete, she unsheathed her yo-yo and tossed it onto a rooftop. "Try to keep up, kitty!"

Ladybug tugged on the wire and flew through the air. Within seconds, she heard the familiar patter of her partner running behind her.

And for a moment, all was as it should be.

* * *

**BONUS SCENE:**

Tikki sat huddled with Plagg on Marinette's desk while their chosens cuddled beneath the stars on the balcony above. She replayed the evening's events in her mind and sighed contentedly. She loved watching her wielders fall in love.

Without warning, her mind came to a screeching halt. Adrien had told Marinette that he'd figured out it was her through a dream.

_A dream_.

And not just any dream. It was a dream that felt as if he were in a different world. Aside from her, there was only one other being in the universe who had the power to make something like that happen.

"Plagg," she growled, "What did you do?"

He nuzzled his head against her cheek. "What are you talking about, Sugarcube?"

Tikki zipped away and hovered above the other Kwami. "You know exactly what I'm talking about."

"No, come back! You were warm."

"Oh, no. I'm not coming back until you tell me why you thought it would be a good idea to break down the barrier between our world and another."

His eyes flicked open. "You caught that, did you?"

She crossed her arms. "Yes, I did. We talked about this. That's not okay. Bad things happen whenever you do that. Remember Atlantis? Or World War I? Oh, and it was especially fun when we reprised that war with World War II."

"It wasn't like those times. It was just a _little_ crack in reality. The opening was only big enough for Adrien to connect with his duplicate on the other side."

"What makes you think that's any better?"

"Well, this time it won't create a mass of disillusioned people. Adrien is strong. He can handle it."

"It's not safe!"

Plagg groaned. "I had to do something!"

"But I told you that I was going to convince Marinette to tell him who she was!" Tikki exclaimed, "_That _was the plan. Not inter-dimensional travel through dreams."

"Relax! What's the worst that could happen?"

"PLAGG!"

"If it gets out of hand, we'll just tell Marinette, and she can help us seal the rift."

"We need all the Kwamis to make that happen."

"Then it'll make them hunt down Hawkmoth even faster. It's a win-win for everyone. Have I ever steered you wrong?"

"Yes, many times."

He placed a paw against his chest. "Ouch."

Tikki took a deep breath. "You're sure it was just a little hole?"

"Yes, it's very small."

"Will Adrien continue to have dreams?"

"Probably, but he'll be fine. He has Marinette now."

"Can I ask which world you sent him to?"

"It's one where we're a dashing master of the house and a beautiful seamstress. Adrien is a prince, and he makes Marinette his princess."

"That doesn't sound too bad."

"No, it's a wonderful world. Adrien finds the love of his life in it, and they get to live happily ever after. It's basically a fairy tale."

"Let's just hope you're right," Tikki mumbled, settling herself next to Plagg.

"You'll see." He yawned and curled himself around her. "Everything will be just fine."


End file.
